Survival Firearms

I do not claim to be an expert in this field, and am only
attempting
to pass along my experiences and impressions to you, for whatever they
may
be worth.
Introduction:
It is assumed that if you are reading this, you may be considering
the
possibility of socio-economic collapse from any number of reasons. If
it
comes to this, we all know that it won't be like the depression of the
1930's, when the unemployed homeless came around to your back door at
mealtime, begging for a bowl of soup which those employed were willing
to
share.
Now days people are dependant on gov't welfare, and consider it
their
_right_ to be given (or take by force) the necessities of life. For
every
family that gives up vacations, meals out, consumer goods, etc. to
prepare,
thousands & thousands of other families will not! You survival will
depend
on your ability to protect what you have.
Retreating:
Unless you already live in a very small town, or in a sparsely
populated area out in the country, it is imperative that you have
somewhere
to go. At the onset of socio-economic collapse the cities will rapidly
become a death trap. Plan on getting the hell out at the first sign of
things going bad!
The ideal situation for city dwellers is to have a farm or ranch
over
100 miles away from any major city. If you live on the coast, then
figure
it at 200 miles, because the population fleeing the city can only go in
one
direction. If you can get farther away than this, then do it. The
rule of
thumb used to be "at least a tank of gas away from any city." However,
with the advent of more fuel efficient cars, this is getting much
harder to
do.
You don't want to pick an area with neighbors that are laid back
and
totally unprepared. You want your neighbors to be armed and fiercely
independent, willing to fight to protect what is theirs. Many of the
rural
folks in Texas fit this criteria. If your neighbors are unarmed and
unwilling to protect themselves, they will only attract looters &
rabble
from the city to the area. Neighbors can help protect and reinforce
each
other. You also must be psychologically prepared to protect yourself
and
your family.
If you cannot afford to buy your own place, you are going to have
to
find somewhere to go, ahead of time. Do you have any relatives that
live
in the country or small communities? How about friends? If not, can
you
make some friends that do? You could buy a gun vault to keep in their
house.
If all else fails, I guess you could retreat to public land, but I
wouldn't rate your chances very good. You would have to pick out a
place
to bury your supplies at, and hope nobody finds them. Not too good of
a
bet.
Never retreat alone. Looters are much more likely to attack
individuals than groups. One person can't stay on watch for 24 hrs/da.
BUG-OUT KIT:
Buy an army pack, camouflaged combat clothing, hiking boots, and
military web carrying equipment for each member of the family to keep
at
home in the city. Hopefully, you will get out of town soon enough to
drive
to your retreat, but be prepared to walk all or part of the way if
that's
what it takes. Keep enough weapons, ammo & survival gear to get you
there.
Your heavier weapons, and the bulk of your ammo and survival gear
should be
stored at your retreat.
EXIT ROUTE:
Don't plan on being able to drive to your retreat by the regular
highway route. Go to a map store & buy the US Geological Topographic
Survey maps covering every area you drive through to get there, plus
the
general areas around your retreat. If you can't find these maps, call
USG
at 703-648-5990. Also buy county maps of every county you have to pass
through. In Texas a private publisher has put into booklet form every
county map in the state, for about $14.
Now, you will have to drive to your retreat on back roads, using
these
maps. Use as many roads as possible that don't show up on your state
highway map. You'll likely find that these roads will take longer, but
they'll get you there, while avoiding populated areas. Traffic will be
light because only those prepared as well as you will be able to find
them
or know where they go.
Mark your routs with a highliter. Note possible hazards along the
way. These might be routs near military bases, prisons, low water
crossings, rivers prone to flooding, etc. Write down the road numbers
as
you go, for some county maps show the roads but not the numbers. Take
different routs in different kinds of weather. Mark "holding-up"
places
for car repairs, meeting friends or relatives on the way, etc.
When you get your maps marked like you want, coat them with a
water
proofing compound. This also makes the paper tougher & less prone to
tear
at the folds. "Stormproof" is one brand you might find at the map
shops.
A new product just came out called "Map Seal." Contact Aquaseal in
Everett, WA at 206-290-7530. They also have some new leather
waterproofing
compound, waterproof tent coating, etc. Both of the products are a
liquid
you just paint on with a brush.
Now to the guns............
PISTOLS:
Rifles are the backbone of your survival battery. However, every
adult member of your group must have a pistol because it can always be
by
your side. Whenever visiting the retreat, all members should wear
their
pistols so as to get familiar with them and used to carrying them. Do
some
shooting each time, too.
When it comes to survival pistols, forget about revolvers. They
don't
hold enough shells, are too slow to reload, too heavy, and are open to
dirt. Also, it is hard to replace parts in them if they break.
Semi-automatic pistols are a must! Preferably the new ones with
high
capacity, double column or staggered magazines. The smallest caliber
you
should consider is 9mm. I am of the school of thought that "bigger is
better," so I prefer the slow moving .45 ACP cartridge. Others think
the
faster, but smaller 9mm is better. No one can _prove_ which one is
best,
so select the one you like. In between calibers are .38 Super Auto,
.40
S&W, and 10mm, the most common (& easiest to find) being .40.
In my experience, the Glock pistols are by far the best choice.
They
are very light because of the plastic receiver (frame) they have. Even
so,
they are about the strongest pistol on the market. The factory not
only
allows, but recommends that you shoot a steady diet of hot submachine
ammo
in them. They say that their pistols will handle any cartridge
currently
manufactured in the world that is the proper caliber. That's a far cry
form S&W and other brands of light alloy frame pistols, which you have
to
call the factory first to see it they will handle the hot loads. Many
models are not capable of handling hot loads.
Since the Glock has a plastic frame, it cannot rust. The barrel,
slide and the parts are coated with a black substance that will not
come or
wear off, with a hardness second only to diamonds. The pistols are
highly
reliable and _very_ accurate, but moderately priced. They all have
high
capacity magazines.
Spend the extra $100 or so, and get the nuclear powered night
sights.
These are a must. You can fire accurately at a target at night if you
can
only see the silhouette of it. They turn it into an effective 24 hour
weapon instead of a daytime weapon. These are well worth the money.
If
you already have a Glock without night sights, send it back to the
factory
& have them installed.
Whatever kind of pistol you settle on, get one of the Bianchi UM84
or
UM92 nylon military holsters to attach to your GI pistol belt. If
budget
restrictions apply, a leather US Army flap holster will do. Get one or
two
double magazine pouches to attach to your web gear & fill them with
spare
magazines.
Glocks cost around $500+ without the night sights. If you can't
afford this, look at the Chinese Norinco 1911 type .45 pistol. For
around
$200 they have a 9mm Tokarov pistol which works ok. For a little more,
you
can get a Tokarov with a staggered (high capacity) magazine. Karen, an
Israeli company, now imports a plastic framed pistol styled after the
Browning Hi-Power ($300+), which holds 14 rds. of 9mm. There are many
other Eastern European companies that offer inexpensive pistols.
In my opinion, it is no use looking at pistols more expensive than
the
Glocks. They can't do anything the Glock won't do as well, or probably
better.
Get at least 3 or more extra magazines for each pistol. That way,
you
can carry 2 loaded in a belt pouch & have a 3rd to rotate so that they
all
don't stay loaded all the time & eventually weaken the springs. You
also
might damage or lose one.
I would establish a goal to eventually stock 500 rounds at the
retreat
for each pistol. A bare minimum per gun should be 250 rds. Don't shy
away
from 750+ rds./gun. Extra ammo can always be used to barter with your
neighbors.
In semiauto pistols, only ball ammo (full metal jacket) should be
used
initially. Fire the pistols 100-200 rounds to break them in. After
that,
you can experiment with hollow point ammo if you desire. It will
function
is some autos, and not others. Be sure you fire 100-200 rds. of hollow
point in your pistol without any jams before you depend on it.
Learn well how to take your pistol apart so you can keep it
cleaned &
oiled.
RIFLES:
All weapons have their strong points as well as their limitations.
Always utilize your weapons to maximize their effectiveness. The
following
gives an example of suggested weapon usage versus range:
0 - 50 yds.:
Riot Shotgun with 12 gauge buckshot. Out to 100 yds with slugs.
50 - 300 yds.:
.223 (5.56mm) - AR-15, .223 Galil
7.62x39mm - SKS, AK
300 - 800 yds.:
.308 (7.62x45mm) - M1A, HK91, FN-FAL, .308 Galil
30-06 - M1 Garand, '03 Springfield
8mm (7.92mm) - Mauser, FN-49
303 British Enfield
The riot shotgun (barrel 20" or less) is an extremely devastating
weapon out to 50 yds. Pump shotguns are cheap ($250.00), so purchase
plenty of them.
Out to 300 yds the .223 is flat shooting and fast shooting. It's
ideal to repulse a typical assault at medium ranges.
Beyond 300 yds the .308 battle rifle is vastly superior in
accuracy
and effectiveness. With scopes, you can engage the enemy long before
they
can return accurate fire.
Automatic weapons may be of questionable value for survival use.
It
is unlikely that you will have to repel an assault that cannot be
handled
by accurate semi-auto fire. If your budget allows automatic weapons,
go
light on the submachine guns, but do have them fitted with sound
suppressors (silencers). Of more use would probably be the 1918-A2 BAR
or
the FN-FALO squad support machine rifle. A Browning 1919-A4 belt-fed
machine gun might be of use mounted on a tripod or in the back of a
pickup
on a vehicle pedestal mount. If you use these, remember to stock
_plenty_
of ammo!
Silenced .22 rifles & pistols might be of some use in taking out
sentries quietly, or for hunting small game without drawing attention.
About half the states allow ownership of suppressors and machineguns.
If
you live in a qualifying state, find a Class 3 dealer in your area.
There
is a $200 tax on each item, and they must be Federally registered.
In 1989, George Bush banned the import of modern infantry rifles
by
Presidential decree. Those such as the HK91, FN-FAL, Galil, Styer AUG,
AK,
and others are no longer being imported. The ones previously imported
&
sold now bring premium prices or $1500-$2500 each.
Recently, foreign manufacturers have modified the guns to make
them
"sporters." They now have "thumbhole" target stocks. Basically, this
is
accomplished by adding material the stock to connect the bottom of the
pistol grip with the rear of the stock, leaving a hole for your wrist
to
fit in. Reports from people having used them are favorable. Some say
they
get a more stable hold with this modification, only they look a little
funny. The bayonet lug has been removed, being of little consequence.
They are fitted with 5 rd. magazines, but the old 20, 30 & 40 round
magazines are still being imported & will fit these new rifles.
However,
legislation has been proposed to stop the import of these larger
magazines.
Flash hiders have also been removed, with creates more flash, but at
the
same time reduces the muzzle blast for the position of the shooter.
The only domestically manufactured infantry rifles are the Colt
AR-15
and the M1A. The AR-15 is the semi-automatic counterpart to the M-16
rifle, and the M1A is the civilian counterpart to the M-14 .308
automatic
rifle.
SHOTGUN EVALUATIONS:
Buy plenty of shotguns! Pump shotguns are by far the best because
they are the most durable & less prone to jam than semi-autos. They
are
simple to operate. A 20" barrel is the best. It's short enough to
fire
easily from a vehicle & it's fast to swing form target to target.
The legal minimum barrel length under Federal law is 18", but that
increases the muzzle blast significantly. Don't saw one off to a
shorter
length because it's a 2nd degree Federal felony punishable by 10 years
&
$10,000. Also, you lose your choke at the end of the barrel, which may
throw off you patterns. The only reason for a shorter barrel would be
for
hiding under a trench coat, combined with a folding stock. If you must
go
this route, buy it legally from a Class 3 dealer & make sure you get it
with an interchangeable choke tube.
The chokes on most 18" & 20" riot shotguns is cylinder bore,
meaning
it's about the same size opening as the shell. This is really not the
best, as with 0 buck or 00 buck, you will typically only get about 2
solid
hits and one "nick" on a silhouette target at 50 yds. A few companies,
like Remington, sell deer hunting shotguns with 20" barrels that are
choked
improved cylinder, or some even have interchangeable choke tubes. I
think
improved cylinder is about the best compromise between large patterns
and
pattern density, so try to pick one of these up. Always test your
shotgun
patterns on paper silhouette targets to see how far you effective range
extends.
Shotguns typically hold about 4 rounds in the tubular magazine,
with
the plug removed. If at all possible, purchase an extension magazine
tube
from an aftermarket source. Chote Machine makes the best one for
Remingtons & Winchesters. This is the brand the FBI, State Dept., etc.
uses. They increase magazine capacity to 7 rds with a 20" barrel, and
6
rds with an 18" barrel. You can purchase these from LL Baston Co. in
Arkansas. Call 800-643-1564 for a catalog. They have many other
useful
items, like rifle & pistol magazines, scope mounts for military rifles,
and
a whole lot of other accessories.
The least expensive riot shotguns are Maverick Arms, an Eagle
Pass, TX
company now owned by Mossberg. The actions are a little rough, but
that
matters little when the chips are down! They come standard with
synthetic
stocks & forearms which are far superior to wood for survival use.
Their
riot gun shouldn't run much over $200.
Mossberg makes many models of riot guns with synthetic & camo
stocks,
heat shrouds over the barrels (so you won't burn your hand when you
roll
the barrel over in your hand to reload). Theirs run from about $225 to
$350. They are a more known quantity than Maverick Arms. Mossberg
sells
some with only pistol grips on the back, instead of a shoulder stock.
Avoid these, unless you are planning to only use it in your car.
Remington makes a good pump shotgun. It has a machined steel
receiver, and a double rail pump action, which is stronger and more
stable.
The cheapest models are the 870 Express, which they came out recently
to
compete with Mossberg and others. Buy this one because it is just as
sound
as the others model, only they have cheaper wood on them. Their
Express
model riot gun, called the Security model has an 18.5" cylinder bore
barrel. But for the same price, they offer a Deer Gun model with a 20"
improved cylinder barrel with rifle sights. This is what I would buy.
They cost around $300 - $325.
Winchester also offers riot guns, but they cost about the same as
Remington but don't have the dual-rail pump on the action, I don't
think.
Remington & Winchester both offer "Marine" models made of stainless
steel
or that have special metal coatings to resist salt spray, if you have
that
problem.
Most currently manufactured shotguns come standard with 3"
chambers,
but I would not pay extra for them. The 2.75" shells are preferable in
my
opinion. See Ammo Section for more information on this.
Most of these companies offer a "combo" package, with a riot
barrel &
a longer barrel for bird hunting.
The best way to learn how to use your riot gun is to take it out
in
the woods hunting, extensively. You can take deer, javalena, turkey
and
other vermin with it. Take it dove hunting, especially if you have an
improved cyl barrel. Use at least 1.25 oz shot loads. If you have a
cyl
bore gun, you might have to load up your own birdshot for it. You'll
have
to reload heavy duck loads, like one & three-eights oz of shot to get a
dense enough pattern for anything but short range. Doing this is going
to
make it kick, but so is using buckshot.....and that's what you bought
it
for!
MEDIUM RANGE "ASSAULT" RIFLES:
Colt AR-15 (.223):
By far, the best bet on .223 rifles is the Colt AR-15, or any of
the
aftermarket copies. Here's several important reasons why:
1) Domestically manufactured, therefore cheaper than an import. Price
is
around $700. Good used ones can be had for even less.
2) The M-16 is current issue military. That means that magazines &
spare
parts are cheap and readily available. You should be able to find them
at
most any gun show.
3) They are durable & battle tested everywhere from the jungles of
Vietnam
to the deserts of Iraq. The jamming problems of the late '60s and
early
'70s have long ago been worked out.
4) Easy to operate & extremely fast to reload.
5) Accurate & light weight.
The AR-15 SP-1 (most likely to find used) is no longer made, but
had a
1x12 rifling twist. This causes the bullet to tend to turn sideways
(keyhole) after it strikes flesh, a desirable trait. However, at
shorter
ranges (maybe 0-50 yds) the bullets tend to just zip straight through
with
minimal stopping power. The older M193 type 55 grain bullets work best
in
it. The only modification desirable on the SP-1 is to purchase a
quality
round AR-15 A2 front handguard (like Lone Star Ordinance) and replace
the
tapered one that comes with the gun. Make _sure_ it has the stainless
steel heat shields in it. Cost is about $20. or so.
After that, came the AR-15 A2. It has a 1x7, or even worse a 1x9
barrel twist. Though 55 grain bullets can be used in it, it was
designed
for a 65 grain bullet, which the military now uses. There is less
chance
that the bullet will keyhole after it hits. The plus side is that they
are
supposed to have a little more power and accuracy out to a little bit
longer range. All but the very first A2 models have the rear sight
drum
adjustable for elevation out to 800 yds, which is of dubious value.
The newest model is the Colt Sporter. This is exactly the same as
the
AR-15 A2, only they changed the name after the import ban.
This is a light caliber (.223), therefore extensive use should be
made
of soft-point ammo. I'll make a drastic difference on personnel. All
these
rifles take a standard scope quite easily with an inexpensive mount.
The current issue military ammunition magazine for the M16 (also
fits
AR-15) holds 30 rounds. There aren't many Colt magazines around for a
reasonable price, but military contract manufacturers are
Advertureline,
Ok, Lackey (or some such), etc. These are just fine & can be found at
the
gun show for $7 - $12, unless there is pending legislation to ban them.
The military used to use 20 rd magazines. Get some of these because
they
work much better when firing from a prone position! The 20 rounders
may
cost as much or more than the 30 rounders. The 5 rd mags that come
with
the new Colt guns can be converted to 20 round by drilling out the
rivets
in the floor plate & removing the spacer inside the mag.
Steel 40 rd mags are available from Sterling Arms in England, or
Federal Ordinance in the US. They run around $20. They will not fit
in
the Army magazine pouches, so you have to buy shoulder strap pouches
for
them.
There is a 90 round drum that costs probably $65, and the Chinese
are
bringing in one that holds 125 rds. I don't know of anyone who has
tested
the Chinese drums for functioning and quality, yet. I think they cost
over
$100. However, the Chinese drums are like Thompson SMG drums, in that
you
can keep them loaded indefinitely & they don't put tension on the
spring
until you wind them up. The 90 rounder keeps constant tension on the
spring when loaded.
Ruger Mini-14 (.223):
I avoid this rifle like the plague! While the AR-15 is the
civilian
version of the M-16 automatic assault rifle, the Mini-14 is a light
sporting rifle, best suited for the 5 rd. magazine it comes with! Most
of
them can't take the heat of rapid fire, the groups open up to several
feet,
as opposed to several inches with the AR-15. Some shoot ok, but you
have
to take them out and test fire them to be sure. AR-15's always work.
Many
Mini-14's are prone to slight jamming, like the bolt not closing all
the
way, sometimes. Just enough to get you killed! Even if you get hold
of a
good one, magazines cost more & you can forget finding spare parts
cheap at
a gun show. If you can't afford an AR-15, then avoid the cheaper Mini
&
get a $135.00 Chinese SKS instead, at least it's a _real_ infantry
rifle.
When looters assault my retreat, I hope they all have Mini-14's!
Israeli Galil .223:
The Galil is supposed to be a good rifle, as they are current
issue
for the Israeli Army, among M16's and others. They are just being
imported
again by Action Arms, with a thumbhole stock & without flash hider &
bayonet lug. These run about the same as an AR-15, around $700.
However,
magazines & parts are going to be much higher & harder to find.
Styer AUG .223 (Austria):
The import ban got this one! It's an OK rifle, but is now very,
very
expensive. Magazines are real expensive & you probably can't even find
parts anymore. Besides, it's no better than the AR-15.
HK-93 .223 (Germany):
Import ban got it too, so its expensive. It's much heavier than
the
AR-15 and not as reliable. Magazines & parts are easier to find than
the
AUG, but are pretty expensive. This gun is just too heavy for a .223,
as
it weighs almost as much as a .308.
Chinese SKS 7.62x39:
The import ban didn't affect this one! It has a folding bayonet
mounted on it & cost about $135. This is the cheapest infantry rifle
you
can get. It has a 10 rd built-in magazine, which loads from 10 rd
stripper
clips inserted from the top of the bolt. There are no expensive
magazines
to buy. For about $20 you can get a 20 rd built-in magazine to replace
the
10 rd with. Just be sure to keep your old 10 rounder because the 20
rounder sticks out more & is prone to getting bent! Ammo is supercheap.
Try to find an ammunition chest pouch for it, which holds about 200 rds
in
stripper clips. If you are making preparations on a tight budget, get
plenty of SKS's. If you already have a battery of expensive guns, get
some
SKS's too, you might have some unarmed friends or relative show up at
your
retreat. These are great "burying rifles."
Like the AK, they group a little wider than most Western infantry
rifles, but they are reliable & made to take the heat of sustained
fire.
Many come in with the sights off zero, so it's a good idea to buy a
sight
adjustment tool for the front sight, one that will adjust both
elevation
_and_ windage.
Chinese AK 7.62x39:
These are being imported again with thumbhole stocks, selling for
about $275. They will take the 30 rd mag, or the 75 rd drum. They
provide
more firepower than the SKS & don't cost a lot more. The model of this
rifle is MAK 90.
Norinco also offers an AK Sporter for under $250. This rifle has
a
traditional hunting stock & no pistol grip. It is imported with a 5 rd
magazine, but of course accepts all the various AK mags. It has a
forged
steel receiver like the original AK-47, before the sheetmetal receiver
AKS
& AKM came out. That means it is a couple of pounds heavier than the
other
AKs. It also might be more accurate, as the sheet metal receiver tends
to
warp just a little bit every time a round is fired.
When considering AK vs. SKS, keep in mind that it's just about
impossible to fire an AK from the prone position with 30 rd mag
attached.
However, you can buy 5rd & 20 rd mags for the AK. The price of 30rd
mags
is $10 or so.
.30 M1 Carbine:
Cartridge is too small & too light for reliable stopping. If you
already own one, sell it and buy some SKS's! That's what I'd do.
FULL SIZE BATTLE RIFLES
Springfield Armory M1A .308:
This is the semi-auto counterpart of the M14 rifle the US used in
early Vietnam. It is one of the few .308 infantry rifles currently
manufactured in the US. I never owned one of these, but years ago,
when
they first came out, some of them had problems. However, I never hear
any
complaints about current production models. These probably run
$1,000+,
and aren't real common to find in smaller gun stores. You may have to
have
your dealer order you one. They use the standard 20 rd M14 magazine
which
can be found pretty easily for around $15.
The M1A would be a good choice for a full-size battle rifle.
Springfield Armory BM59 & BM63 .308:
Springfield Armory may still manufacture a few of these. They are
shorter & lighter than all the other .308 infantry rifles. Since the
barrels are shorter, they don't have quite the long range accuracy &
punch
that the longer rifles have. However, they are lighter for carrying &
much
more handy for shooting out of a vehicle than, say, an FN-FAL.
If you are going to get these, spread a few of them around your
survival retreat group, but also get some .308 infantry rifles with
longer
barrels & scopes. These rifles will probably run $1,000.+
Norinco M14:
This is also a semi-auto version of the M14, but this one is made
in
China. These haven't been on the market for very long, & I have no
idea as
to their quality. However, they cost about $400-$500! That's a plus.
These might be well worth checking out.
HK-91 .308 (W. Germany):
These were very popular before the import ban, mainly because they
were a little cheaper than other imported .308 infantry rifles. It
should
be pretty easy to find some of these on the used market, for around
$1,000+. The most common magazine size is 20 round, though a 30 round
is
made by HK, and also a US after market manuf. HK's have a much heavier
trigger pull than most. Scope mounts are nice, but very expensive
($300+).
They have a locking roller on each side of the bolt, which will cease
to
function if they get coated lightly by rust.
They have been importing this rifle with a thumbhole stock for
some
time, so new ones are available. I don't know how much they cost, but
suspect they are over $1200 retail.
FN-FAL .308 (Belgium):
The pre-import ban models you can find used cost from $1800-$2500.
This was at one time the most common infantry rifle in the world,
except
for AKs. Many countries have used it worldwide & it has a reputation
for
functioning everywhere from jungles to deserts, and everywhere in
between.
Is also know for it's accuracy. I like the FAL quite a lot.
Springfield Armory imported some of these from Argentina, made
under
license from Belgium. I hear that they are actually superior to the
Belgium made semi-autos because although Belgium used machined
receivers on
their full-auto versions, on the semi-auto they used forged receivers,
which don't last for as many hundreds of thousands of rounds. These
Argentine models actually command a little less price.
Some FAL's were imported from Israel, too. However, I understand
that
Armscorp, the company that imported many of them, sometimes used old or
worn parts in them.
Currently, Springfield Armory is bringing them back in the
country,
with thumbhole stocks, of course. These probably sell for $1,000+.
Century Arms also has some for about $700. They are refinished
parts
guns, but if they work well, what the heck?
The FAL is known for it's fine balance and it's long-range punch
due
to it's 21" barrel. However, they are rather unwieldy if you try to
fire
them out of a pickup window in a hurry.
Most of the semi-auto FAL's with a synthetic forearm (including
the
Belgium made) do not have a heat shield in the forearm. If you pulloff
a
few magazines rapidly, it becomes too hot to hold on to. What I would
do
is try and find some of the Israeli wooden forearms with stainless heat
shield and replace the plastic one. Be careful, because the Israeli
FNFALO
squad support rifle also uses a wood one, but has a larger outside
diameter barrel & these will not fit your standard rifle, even though
they
look the about the same.
FAL magazines are 20 rd, and very cheap. You can buy them out of
Shotgun News for around $20 for 10. Get plenty!
Israeli Galil .308:
These are supposed to be fine rifles, but like their .223 little
brother, magazines & parts are going to be high & hard to find. They
are
being imported by Action Arms, with thumbhole stocks.
M1 Garand Rifle 30-06:
These WWII/Korean War relics used to cost $600+, because of their
rarity, as most were sold to countries like Korea, instead of the
American
public, when the M14 replaced the M1. However, several years ago a law
was
passed to let these M1's & other old foreign infantry rifles be
imported
into the US, form places like Korea. Now, you can buy a used M1 for
$300
or so. Nicer & less used specimens are available for up around $400.
Magazine capacity is limited to 8 rds, so the M1 lacks the
firepower
of modern infantry rifles with 20 rd magazines. But, for budget minded
survivalists with SKS's for their mid-range rifles, the M1 is the
perfect
choice for a full size battle rifle at the longer ranges.
Sometimes you can find the M1 with new barrels chambered for .308
(7.62 Nato). These are the ones to grab, because 30-06 military ammo
costs
at least twice as much as military .308 ammo.
There are also some M1 Tanker Garands floating around out there.
These have shorter barrels for firing out of vehicles.
Springfield Armory makes brand new M1 Garands & Tanker Carbines,
but
they cost considerable more than the prices mentioned above.
FN-49 7.92 mm (Belgium):
These rifles, produced in 1949, are chambered for the 8mm Mauser
round, actually a 7.92mm. They are semi-auto with a 10 rd built-in
magazine that loads from standard Mauser stripper clips. These are
similar
in weight & length to the M1 Garand. Owners I've talked to always rave
about their fine accuracy. They cost around $300, and are usually
available form Century Arms. I can't see much reason in having one,
unless
you already stock 8mm ammo for Mauser rifles or a machinegun, like the
Vickers.
WWII Bolt Action Infantry Rifles:
You would have to be pretty hard up to buy some of these for
survival
use. These include the 8mm Mauser, 303 British Enfield, the American
1903
Springfield, etc. Israel & some other countries took the German 8mm
Mauser
& fitted them with .308 barrels. Occasionally you can find these for
sale.
Generally, these rifles cost about the same, or a little more than
the
Chinese SKS, so there is no reason to have them for medium range use.
If
you absolutely could not cough up an extra $250 each to buy some old M1
Garands, I guess these bolt actions would be better than nothing for
long
range.
BOLT ACTION SCOPED HUNTING RIFLES:
If you already have some of these they can be used for long range
sniping, especially if they are chambered for flatter shooting calibers
than .308. If you don't have any, just put scopes on your .308 battle
rifles for hunting & sniping.
Make a mental note of the following BAD example:
Two men on patrol & hunting outside the retreat area, both armed with
scoped bolt action hunting rifles in 30-06 & .308. While stalking game
they are suddenly confronted by three parasites armed with Sears
Roebuck
.22 automatic rifles. Though they may drop one, or even two of them
with
their first shots, bolt action hunting rifles are slow & impractical at
close range. The chances of surviving even such a basic & simple
confrontation are remote. The .22, while lacking in power, is deadly
if
you are hit with enough of them. Moral to this story: Always have at
least 50% of your patrol armed with light assault rifles. The
remainder
should be armed with heavy assault rifles (.30 cal), or shotguns. In
this
manner, you can protect yourself as well as hunt for deer, elk,
squirrel,
birds, etc.
TYPES OF ATTACK
Mel Tappen, in his book "Survival Guns" (1976) lists the 4 most
common
types of attacks to expect:
1) Exposed Attack - This will probably be the most common type of
attack.
Looters and other rabble simply rush your position with little
coordination
or accurate firing. If you have chose and prepared your defensive
position
well, and are SUITABLY ARMED, you should expect to defeat a force TEN
or
more times your strength. Your sentries or scouts should give ample
warning of the impending attack.
2) The Stealth Blitz - One of the most dangerous forms of attack to the
defenders. The attacking force, which may be quite small, uses the
cover
of darkness to sneak up and over-power your sentries. Simultaneous
entry
is made at several different points. This type of attack may be
successfully defended against by alert sentries and adequate warning
systems.
3) Fire Blitz - This is probably the most dangerous form of attack to
the
defenders. The only viable response is frequently to escape your
dwelling
via a hidden and hopefully secure means. This type of attack occurs
when a
usually superior force surrounds your retreat and simultaneously fire
bombs
it, and hoses it with automatic weapons fire. The only possible
defense is
to have a clear field of fire in all directions to prevent the enemy
from
approaching your position and/or remote controlled anti-personnel
explosive
charges that may be detonated from inside the retreat.
4) Scouting Attack - A small advance party is sent ahead of the main
body
of attackers to test the strength of the defenders By exposing
themselves
t your fire, they will attempt to determine the range and depth of your
defensive fire. It your defenses are reasonably strong, a viable
response
may be to respond only with deliberately ineffective fire (shotguns,
pistols, .22 rimfire, etc.) in an attempt to lure the main body into a
frontal assault.
If your retreat location has enough members, some should stay
outside
the compound at all times. When you are attacked, they can snipe at
the
attackers or attack their rear.
ALWAYS have a pack loaded for each person, in case you group has
to
take to the woods in the case of overwhelming attacking forces. Most
survival food & gear should be buried in the woods in caches.
DRAW A LINE
To shoot or not to shoot, that is the question! As you watch a
group
of strangers approach your retreat, an important decision must be made.
Militarily, you do not want to allow any strangers to approach and
enter
your retreat. To do so would compromise and weaken the effectiveness
of
your defense.
As the group approaches, you should have established a "dead line"
beyone which no one may approach without securing permission. Anyone
that
is so warned and refuses to heed your warning MUST BE treated as an
enemy.
SPARE GUN PARTS
For each gun you should have at least a spare extractor and
extractor
spring. Also a firing pin & firing pin spring should be purchased. A
broken cartridge case extractor can make the difference between getting
your rifle back into action quickly, or having to trash it.
It's good to have many more parts for your guns, especially those
which are inexpensive & easily obtainable, such as AR-15 (M16) parts,
M14,
M1 Garand and Colt .45 auto parts.
For the AR-15, you should have a spare bolt, as the bolt will
eventually crack after many thousands of rounds are fired. Spare
triggers,
hammers, selectors, etc. should be stocked. These parts don't usually
wear
out, but they can break if they happen to have a fault in the steel.
Extra
springs are essential, as they can be easily broken or lost. A set of 3
gas
rings for the piston part of the bolt are needed, as these wear out
eventually. Especially prone to breakage are the cotter key that
retains
the firing pin. Get plenty of these. An extra magazine catch might
not be
a bad idea.
Don't even bother to get a military type assault rifle, unless you
purchase at least 10 magazines. You may not be able to carry this many
loaded magazines, but you can sure use them in a defensive position.
Also,
you can use them for replacements when your others get bent or lost.
AMMUNITION
My opinion of _minimum_ ammunition stocks would be 300 rds per
pistol.
Each semi-automatic rifle should have at least 1,000 stored away for
it.
If budget permits, get 5,000+ rds per rifle.
Most of the ammo will probably be military ball ammo (full metal
jacket). You might allow some expanding ammo for the pistols, like
Winchester's new Black Talon, but it is quite expensive.
For the .308 rifles you will need some soft-point hunting ammo for
deer and such. Expanding bullets against personnel are dramatically
effective, so if you can afford some for that, that's fine. However,
.30
caliber ball ammo is pretty effective against personnel, as that's what
wars are fought with. It usually keyholes when it hits.
The .223 round is so light that it is a real good idea to purchase
as
much soft-point or hollow-point as you can. Fill in with military ball
ammo. According to Peter G. Kokalis, writer for Soldier of Fortune
magazine, the .223 (5.56mm) ball round will keyhole (turn sideways)
when it
hits flesh, and break partially through at the bullet cannelure, out to
200
yds, when fired from a 20" barrel. The break at the cannelure is a
desirable effect. He claims that AR-15's with 10"-11.5" barrels will
break
the cannelure out to only 100 yds. I would presume the AR-15 carbines,
with 16.5" barrels would do this out to about 150 yds.
With a 20" AR-15, past 200 yds the bullet might keyhole less
dramatically & only go straight through. You might consider using
expanding bullets at ranges beyond 200 yards. Of course, at longer
ranges
it might not be as important to get an instant stop.
Also remember, that at shorter ranges, somewhere between 0-75
yards,
that the bullets tend to go straight through, instead of tumbling after
they hit. I think all this data applies to the M16A1 (AR-15 SP1) with
the
1x12 twist. Who knows about the performance of the newer A2 rifles? I
wonder how they worked in Iraq.
The only way to go with 7.62x39 ammo is Norinco Chinese ball.
This is
the cheapest ammo you can buy, except for .22 rimfire. Stock it away
by
the case. They also came out with a steel jacketed soft-point. I
don't
know if it really expands, or not, due to it's steel jacket. I have
not
had the opportunity to shoot any game with it. If it works, its a real
steal, at prices only about 40% over the price of ball.
For .308 ammo, buy Chinese or European surplus by the case. You
should be able to find it for $150/1k. The only problem with 30-06
ammo is
that it is the most expensive of all these. Your best bet is PMC,
Samson,
or the Remington (yellow box) or the Winchester (white box) "generic"
ball.
The PMC is more powerful & may bend the operating rod in an M1 Garand.
When it comes to soft-point, the company selling it the cheapest
is
Samson, by Israel Military Industries. This is every bit as good as
Winchester or Remington hunting ammo. Look for it, it's far cheaper.
Buckshot ranges in size from #4 buck to #000 buck. I prefer the
larger sizes, #0, #00, and #000. It has more penetration because the
pellets are heavier. It comes packed in 250 rd cases, and costs around
$175 per case, if you can find a good deal. If you can find a place to
order it for yourself (I don't know if there are any), you might get it
for
$110 per case.
Also, consider reloading buckshot. Usually, only the larger gun
stores carry buchshot pellets in the 25 lb. bags.
The so called "magnum" buckshot just has a few more pellets,
making
the shot charge heavier. But, it also moves at a slower velocity,
meaning
less penetration. I prefer the regular high velocity buckshot instead
of
the magnum. The magnum is considerably more expensive.
Since 1986 individuals can now order ammo themselves, without a
license. The companies that do sell to individuals usually require
that
you send a photocopy of your drivers license, sign a statement that you
are
older than 18 or 21, etc.
RELOADING
At one time I kept a stock of reloading supplies at my retreat
location. One day I started thinking about carrying the press, dies,
bullets, powder, etc., if I had to leave the retreat & head for the
woods.
I scrapped the idea of survival reloading & started putting my money
into
loaded ammunition. Reloading is fine for _before_ a crisis starts.
There is a new primer sealant product out. Check the source
section
for it. You can put it around the bullets to seal them, too.
WEB CARRYING EQUIPMENT, MILITARY
Get this from places that sell new military surplus. Items
include:
nylon pistol belt
carrying suspenders
canteen & cover
M16 magazine pouches (holds .308 mags, too)
pistol holster
first aid kit
pistol magazine pouch
ALICE pack

BASIC LIST OF SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL

FOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL

Some people are saying we should prepare for at least 7 days, but the way things go after a hurricane, tornado, floods, loss of electricity and the fact that these disasters will continue and perhaps even get worse in coming years according to trends, one week is not enough.  Some have said 7 years, but that seems too long so do what you can.  Be sure to use the older stocked goods first and replace them with new.  Otherwise you will end up with all old food you might not even want to eat.  Always check canned tomatoes for spoilage, as even in the can they can spoil.  Most other foods last a long time.

1.  Water stored to last at least 7 days, at one gallon per day per person. (If you buy cases of l/2 litres - you can buy enough to last a couple of months)  Recently, people are saying that water in plastic is toxic, so store water in glass if possible.
     Homeland Security recommends 7 days for survival, but in recent years, some people don't have electricity or heat for
     up to 3 weeks, so to be really safe -  plan for at least 3 weeks.
2.  A good canteen and basins to catch rainwater. Also have a good supply of water purification tablets or bleach, or plan to boil your water. The surest way to purify water is to boil it for 15 to 20 minutes.
      Note:  I have received arguments that boiling for longer than 5 minutes will just waste good water, but 15 minutes is
      safer to kill Cryptospiridium.
3.   Food, per person, for one year:   (Divide by 12 for 1 month)
     Wheat - 300 lbs.
      Rice - 100 lbs.
      Beans, Peas, Lentils, 50 lbs. each
      Honey or Sugar - 60 lbs.
      Salt - 3 lbs.  (Get 6 lbs to be sure) (See below)
      Cayenne Pepper - 1 large can
      Herbal Seasonings
      Dried Milk - 80 lbs.
      Peanut Butter - 50 lbs.
      Dried Fruit
      Canned food, or dried (ready to mix) food
      Oatmeal - 50 lbs.
      Alfalfa Seeds - 10 lbs.
      Sprouts (see below)
      Canned Sardines, tuna, salmon
If you have a baby, include formula and baby food.  If you have pets, you will want food for them as well.  Store food needs in waterproof containers, capable of also protecting against insects and mice. Use Steel garbage cans or plastic 5 gallon buckets. The vacuum sealed method is also very good. If you are storing nuts or oatmeal, they smell and taste bad after a while, so they will need to be rotated. For all storing of food, the rule is: use up the old and replace with the new.
Also, buy mice and rat traps and don't forget to use them.
NOTE;  I recommend freezing nuts for storage.
4.  Manual grain grinder
5.  Medicines - Assemble a standard first aid kit, with a comprehensive first aid book. Also include things for headache, upset stomach, congestion, colds, such as Pepto Bismol, aspirin, Tylenol, Excedrin, disinfectants, prescription medicines; and anything else you use regularly. Include vitamins, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, sage tea for colds, mint tea, golden seal, brandy (good as medicine), herbal tinctures, hops, catnip (which helps you sleep), herbs for cooking, including dried garlic and onions, cayenne pepper, cumin, basil, and coriander and salt. After you've been eating rice and beans for a few days, they'll need lots of help to make them taste good.  Add to this list things such as Colloid Silver, and perhaps even your own Colloid Silver maker. It isn't expensive to make your own Colloid Silver.  Also don't forget sunscreen - nobody is safe in the sun long-term anymore.
Also learn about herbal medicines and if you have space, grow some of your own - most are perennials and once you get the plant growing, its yours for as long as you take care of it. 
See:  http://www.earthmountainview.com for suggestions on herbs and growing your own food.
6.  Toothbrushes, baking soda or salt to brush with, a good supply of dental floss (which can be used for other things as well) and another items you need for good tooth care. Stay away from toothpaste that has fluoride in it or you will kill your brain over time.
7.  Extra eye glasses
8.  For a camp kitchen you need: camp stove with good supply of fuel (in wooded areas, all you need are rocks and a flat tin or grill), pots and pans, plates and bowls (unbreakable)  (you can use Army surplus camp kits)  cooking utensils, knife, forks, spoon, spatula, biodegradable dish soap, towels, bucket to carry water, dish pan, matches dipped in wax and stored in waterproof containers.
9.  A good tent, sleeping bag for each person, extra blankets, sleeping pads, and ground cloth - and another waterproof tarp to cover your camp gear.
10. Clothing - Have clothing for all weather. Include a good warm coat and sweaters,  hat for rain or shine, rain gear, a good pair of hiking boots that will take years to wear out, warm winter underwear, wool socks, summer socks (don't wear socks with holes in them as they cause blisters) (learn to darn socks) work gloves, hats, and whatever else you need for warmth and protection.
11. Hunting equipment. Hunting might be necessary for survival in some situations. Be prepared both with equipment and knowledge of how to use the equipment. First choice of a gun is a .22 caliber rifle.  You can kill anything up to a deer with it. Purchase 500 rounds of .22 hollow point bullets.  If you are not a good marksman, then get a 30-30 or 30-06 and at least 200 shells. A shotgun comes in handy for shooting things flying or running.   The bow and arrow is still one of the best weapons.  You will have to practice, and of course, you can never run out of shells.  If you want to be unseen and unheard by unfriendly people, this would be a good idea.  Also, take  a compass with you.
12.  Fishing equipment. - Get basic equipment. Include assorted sized hooks, fish lines, sinkers, etc. Fishing takes time, but if you are moving toward long-term survival, time is something you may have plenty of.
13.  Wood stove. Get one with a secondary burn chamber. It uses less wood and creates less pollution. Get one with a flat top for cooking on.
14. Chain saw, extra gas and oil, spark plugs, chain, etc.
15. Bow saw and a tool to set the teeth with, extra blades.
16. Skill saw (for when you have electricity)
17. Axe, hatchet, files.
18. Spitting maul
19. Flashlights with extra batteries and bulbs; candles; propane, kerosene, or Coleman lantern with plenty of fuel, and extra wicks and mantles.
20. A good pocket knife and a sharpening stone.
21. Hammers, assorted nails, assorted screws, wrench set, pliers, wire cutters, screw drivers, pipe wrench, 200 feet of 1/4 inch nylon rope, duct tape.
22. Shovels, spades, hoes, and rakes with strong teeth
23. Charging system - wind, water, or solar  - to pump water and provide electricity
24. Backpack - Waterproof. If you are forced to relocate, it may be all that goes with you.
25. Compass.
26. Up-to-date maps of the area you want to live in. This will show you land and water away from human habitation.
27. A 4 wheel drive vehicle with all the proper tools for maintaining it. Extra parts.
28. Tire chains for snow.
29. Radio. Have more than one. electrical and battery operated. Get a crank operated one.  (See C. Crane company for this information)  You'll want to know what's going on in the outside world.
30. Soap for laundry and bathing.  Also learn how to make your own and have those supplies handy.
31. Natural insect repellent.
32. A mirror.  You'll want to see yourself, but you can use it for signaling as well.
33. Extra toilet paper.  Also keep old newspapers and telephone directories for emergencies. (Hint: if you need to use old newspaper, crinkle it up and straighten it out several times first -- it's much softer!)
34. Female needs - (Use cloth pads you can wash)
35. Baby diapers. (Use cloth you can wash)  Older kids can go bare bottom when necessary. Indians used moss and grass when necessary.
36. A basic sewing kit (needles and threads)
37. Safety pins
38. Swiss Army knife
39. Bobby pins (you can work wonder with these)
40. Pencils and paper, maybe even a notebook for a diary.
41. Musical instruments (harmonica, flute, guitar) to lift the spirit
42. Crazy glue
43. Patch kit
In the survival sense, think warm clothing, think fleece.
Those fleece throws (the single blankets) are great gifts, roll up nice and compact and are very useful as blankets, capes, padding for sleeping on the ground, tablecloths or even hung up on a leanto to break the wind.
By the time everyone adds their ideas to your list we will all need a U-haul on the back of that 4 wheel drive vehicle. Hey not a bad idea to learn how to build your own trailer, all you need is a spare axle, couple of wheels, a hitch and some wood. Peace - Marguerite
44. Lots of good books to read.
45. .22 ammunition - amount stored should be 5000 rounds, not 500. It is small, inexpensive, and can be used as barter material if need be.
46. .30-30/.30-06 - other calibers to seriously consider are the .308, .270, .243, .223, and 7.62x39. Many people, myself included can't handle the recoil of a .30-06 (and I don't like .30-30). There are more rifles chambered in the calibers I mentioned than I can list, and all are good. It all depends on what you can afford. The amount of ammo one should store should be a minimum 1000 rounds, not 200.
47. A sturdy, fixed blade hunting knife should always be include. You can find these from Buck, Gerber, SOG, Camillus, Uncle Henry, and many others. I prefer the Camillus Pilot/Survival or Marine Combat knives. These have been made under contract for the US military for about four decades and have stood the test of time. They are also inexpensive ($25 and $35 respectively) so if one is lost or happens to break, you don't get as upset as you would should your Gerber BMF ($240) bite the dust.
48. Many people, myself included, have not been able to master the use of a sharpening stone. But with the use of a sharpening kit, such as those by Lansky, we can bring up a very sharp edge on our knives.  Great for use on kitchen cutlery as well.
49. A pocket tool, such as those by Leatherman, Gerber, SOG, et al, are much more versatile than the Swiss Army Knife and their prices are comparable to the more expensive Swiss Army Knives. In the meantime, I will hang on to my SAK until I can afford a Leatherman Super Tool. (I still have a house to run.)
50. 200' to 500' of 550# test Paracord is a great addition to your supplies, especially when the 1/4" nylon cord/rope is too thick or not the right tool for the job.
51. Boiling water may be effective, but it is not the best way to purify water. Boiling removes the oxygen content and causes it to be flat. For EMERGENCY purposes only one can use un-scented household bleach to purify water, but you should use only 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons of water (1 tsp should the water be cloudy). The best method is to use HTH dry chlorine (65%), which can be purchased in bulk at stores like WalMart, Target, KMart, etc. (Also a great barter item.)  The amount to use is 1/4 teaspoon (0.03 ounce) per 300 gallons for a 0.5 ppm of chlorine.
     Try a solar water distiller:  http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22Solar+distiller%22&btnG=Search

1. Water Wiser Solar Stills

   Passive solar distillation is an inexpensive, low-tech alternative for pure drinking ... Build a Solar Water Heater: An Intregal Passive Solar Water Heater ...
   www.motherearthnews.com/.../Passive-Solar-Distillation.aspx

2. How to make a solar water distiller | eHow.com

   How to make a solar water distiller. Want to make drinkable water without a stove/fire? Here's a fun and simple solar distiller that might just come in ...
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52. One can also get a complete cookset...cookpots, frying pan, coffee pot, plates, and cups...of good or better quality in the outdoor department of WalMart, Kmart, Target, etc., or a good outdoor supply store that sells camping equipment.
53. One should have two or three pairs of good hiking boots (U.S. issue combat boots are still the best and only cost $60-$80 mail order) in their closet and one dozen pair bootlaces per pair of boots (laces also come in handy for short term temporary uses, too). Should the long-term effect be much longer than anticipated, then the extra boots will be needed. Also a couple pair of good cross-trainers or running shoes would be advisable.
54.You should always have a handful of disposable lighters in addition to matches. They come in quite handy and you don't have to be a smoker to keep them on hand. They are inexpensive and take up very little room.
55. When we packed our food we used food-grade diatomaceous earth for the grains.  All grain already has the eggs of insects in it - it's just the natural way.  When they hatch out the diatomaceous earth either smothers them because the particles are so tiny or if the larvae is bigger or soft-skinned it dries them up.

I bake my own bread and grind my own flour.  In some of the jars where we didn't use diatomaceous there is an occasional weevil and I grind it up - if folks eat animals then a bug or two shouldn't be a problem.

Diatomaceous earth is full of minerals and is a safe, non-toxic way to treat your food.  You don't want to breathe it because the particles are so tiny but then, you don't want to inhale flour, either.  It's real cheap, too.

We use 1/4 cup for a 5-gallon bucket of grain.  We half-fill the bucket, sprinkle 1/2 the dust on, put the lid on, roll the bucket all around, take the lid off, fill the bucket with more grain to the top, add the rest of the dust, roll it around and you're done.  You can do it in smaller batches, too.  In gallon jars and then pour it into the bucket.
An added step would be to re-open and add a small piece of dry ice to the top. (I like to put it on a piece of broken pottery to keep it from "burning" the grain.) Let the lid rest on top while the dry ice sublimates into gaseous carbon dioxide and displaces bug-breathable air. Then seal tightly.
ALSO: ..I suggest sealing your bags, boxes etc. to keep from getting damp, then freezing them for 3 days..it kills the eggs.  I have done this with everything I buy..it works.  I have used rice, flour, etc. that is months old (re-stocking as I use).  I'm sure it will work for animal feed as well.
You can also drop a couple of Bay leaves in since most bugs hate.  Bay leaves are good to use in almost any food storage situation
Another good storage trick for grains and legumes is to use oxygen absorber packs that can be purchased wherever food storage supplies are sold.  No oxygen = no living things, and no oxidation of the contents or the container.
To avoid 6 legged critters, vacuum seal your food (see Tilia Foodsaver) and store in 5 gallon plastic buckets with the snap on lids.  Or, store food directly in the 5 gallon buckets and pay to have the buckets nitrogen injected.  Costs a couple of bucks a bucket.  Either of these methods will kill existing critters and prevent future contamination.

Second to vacuum sealing, you can use zip-lock bags.  Fill the bag, lower it into a sink full of water until the water is just to the zip- lock.  Seal the bag.  Remove and dry the bag off.  The water pressure pushes a lot of the extraneous gases (air) out of the bag.

Rats can, but won't gnaw into the 5 gallon buckets unless they have a reason to, like the odor of of something yummy on the other side. Properly sealed, a 5 gallon buckets should be odorless.

Rats require 3 things to survive, food, water and shelter.  Remove any one of these three things and the rat population disappears.
I have used boric acid effectively for years to keep away roaches, along with Roach Prufe.  The last place I was in had ants before I brought in food.  One place I had and didn't prepare very many meals, had neither roaches nor ants, but I brought in weevils from the store, and they ate everything resembling a carbohydrate. 

56. MAKING DO: . Stock up on kids clothing from the 2nd hand stores,  jeans, sweats, warm winter clothing, and if you can't get to a store for any reason, you should have plain white/beige muslin cloth to make longs skirts & shirts once your regular clothing is gone.....but then we will also need to learn how to make clothing out of sheep's wool and grasses. You can make strong sandals out of tires so keep a few around and learning to work leather is a good idea too. There are great leather catalogs you can send for and check them out. Get a couple of old bikes too. Also get extra tubes & stuff to fix them with. Also pick up a few "fake" furs at the used clothing stores to use for covering. Or get real fur, but probably will cost more. You can get wool blankets at the Am Vets & Goodwill stores.

57. RAISING YOUR OWN CHICKENS:
Here's a great idea for your meat chickens.  You might want to consider feeding your chickens nothing but sprouted wheat if you don't free-range your birds.  However, free-ranged chickens and their eggs are healthier to eat. Buy wheat and soak it in a bucket of water overnight.  Drain off the water (give it to the chickens) and let the bucket sit for 3 or 4 days.  Rinse the wheat twice a day.  Once the little root pokes out it can be fed to the chickens and will have so much more vibrational energy (or spark of life) and nutrition than the unsprouted wheat kernel had.

Chickens fed only on unsprouted wheat will dress out to about 8 to 9 pounds each--this sounds incredible but it's really true.  If you are going to raise chickens for meat it would be interesting to try this method.  Chickens fed the regular way average 5 to 6 pounds on average.

The sad truth is that store-bought chicken is mushy and tasteless and of course, you get all the hormones and chemicals the chicken ate. When you taste your first home-raised chicken meat you will be in awe.  Chickens raised on the sprouted wheat taste even better.
These days, anything you can get that is organic is healthier than anything you buy in a grocery store.  Buying at local farm markets is preferable. Always ask if the food is organic before buying.

Even if you don't eat your chickens this idea can be considered for the "after time" when perhaps you might be scrambling for something nutritious to feed your birds.

58. MONEY?  What good will money be? Greenback are usually the first thing to become worthless in a sinking society. Gold, silver and gems are what are needed after the governments all collapse.

59 - SALT: 
Salt is scarce in wet climates away from the ocean. The only natural source in such places is mineral springs. Vegetarian animals need salt and animals like deer and elk and mountain goats will go to a lot of trouble to get it. Porcupines need even more sodium than most in order to survive all the excess potassium they get from eating pine bark.

Thus, to find salt in the wilderness, find out where the animals get it. I once found what seemed to be too many deer trails in a certain area of forest, and after exploring a bit found that they all converged on a mineral spring. This particular spring was not shown on any geological survey map and was pretty much trampled into a mud-wallow by the deer and elk, but in a pinch a person could dig it out and get salty water. Note it is also a good place to get deer and elk, and maybe indian arrow-heads. Of course some mineral springs have poisonous amounts of minerals like arsenic in them too, so you're taking a bit of a gamble with any non-tested mineral water.

60.  SPROUTS - Don't overlook sprouting as a great source of food in time to come.
For families with financial constraints buying even very large amounts of seeds to sprout is affordable.  You can live entirely on sprouts.

The seeds stay viable for many years and are packed with nutrition and living, vibrating energy for your body.  This is a "living" food vs. a dead food.  If you have little storage space and few dollars you may want to learn more about sprouting.

Practice now, making and using sprouts.  You can do it simply:  for alfalfa sprouts (the most common) just use a tablespoon of seeds, soak them in some water in a jar over night.  The next day pour off the water.  The health food stores have a 3- piece lid kit to screw onto any wide-mouth canning jar.  After you pour off the water invert the jar on an angle upside down (I use a little dish to set it in).  Rinse those same sprouts twice a day, morning and night.  They don't need the sun to sprout.

After 2 or 3 days they will have all sprouted and you can set the jar in a sunny window if you wish to "green" them up for use in salads or eat out of hand.  We always drink the rinse water because it's packed with vitamins and minerals.  Or use this water to water your plants.  Or for your pet's water.

Walton's has a sprout variety pack that's already vacuum packed and has lots of different kinds of sprout seeds.  We bought ours back in 1997 and they are still sprouting great.

Some of the bigger seeds will make really big, long sprouts.  They taste the best when eaten young, though.  Older sprouts tend to taste somewhat bitter.  A sprout can actually be eaten anytime the tiny little root appears.  We usually wait a few days, though.

It will be fun to learn about sprouts and a great comfort again, if folks want very much to prepare but don't have a lot of money.
61. CONTAINERS - You can get 5 gal. sturdy plastic containers at the bakery shops as well as smaller sizes. Fill EACH one with things such as Medical supplies, clothing, food, ammo, survival books, reading books, Classic books, tools, etc....and don't forget all the family pictures. There is a process where you can put a picture on a piece of metal & it will last for hundreds of years.
62 - more ideas from a reader:
Regarding water: chlorine treatments do not kill Cryptosporidium oocysts. the best way to rid water of these is boiling. Some say 5 minutes, but bringing water to a rolling boil should be enough to kill any organisms in it. Better to live on water with "less oxygen" (which can be re-added by shaking a half-full jug of water for a few minutes) than suffer the effects of an infection.

Also, if you have squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, or other small, rat sized mammals, a few rat traps could prove invaluable. They are more effective that a dead fall trap, and much lighter (and squirrel with barbecue sauce is dang tasty). Peanut butter is the perfect bait. Also, a high power pellet gun is fairly silent, and will be effective on creatures up to small dogs (when you get hungry they start looking tasty) also works as a deterrent for larger dogs (expect packs of wild dogs in really bad times). Ammo is cheaper even than .22 rounds. Find out about tularemia and bubonic plague (still exists in many parts of North America, especially on small rodents) and how to protect yourself from them. Remember the best way to extract maximum calories from meat, and ensure that it is safe to eat is to boil the heck out of it, split the bones and boil them too, eat the marrow, brains, heart and liver (kidneys are your option: not worth the trouble on smaller animals). As such, expect soup to be your best friend when times are tough.

A few cheap plastic tarps can be invaluable They can serve as makeshift tents, floors, ponchos, camouflage (if they are the right color; can be achieved with spray paint), rain catchers, etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum, ad nauseum, ad absurditum.

First aid: expect medical services to be limited in very bad times.  learn the basics of first aid, long term wound care, and as much general medicine as possible now. An extensive first aid kit (see the STOMP portable hospital at www.cheaperthandirt.com  as an example) including many bandages (sturdy cloth is best, they can be boiled and reused if necessary) and perhaps some powdered antibiotics, such as tetracycline and erythromycin (in an emergency fish or livestock antibiotics could be used, learn the indications, contraindications and dosages well or you might kill yourself dosages for humans are the equivalent for pigs).

Lastly, remember that if you are planning on traveling somewhere, others will either be there already, or also traveling there (expect mass migrations in rough times). figure out ahead of time how you would like to interact with them (and expect tensions to be high when resources are scarce).

Even more lastly, as the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy says: "don't panic." Keep your wits about you and think creatively, and you will survive.

Hello, my name is Brett, from Rochester, Michigan. Great page love everything I read so far. I would like to add some tips for your readers...
Electrical and silver bearing solder and a good awl paired with any flame is great for repairs on watches, eye glasses, hunting and fishing gear, obviously electronics. Also good for making fishing weights and lures themselves (poured over a bare hook/bobby pin & shaped by tool or stone, polished with blue jeans or wool)
9 volt batterys kept in individual waterproof bags, a dozen at least. Accompanied by (not stored together) steel wool will light fires on the wettest of days. Also a few sterno petroleum jelly fuel cans are great for fire starting, not the whole can at once but just a 1/2 tsp will light a good fire in wind and rain.
Also safety gear, such as shin, knee, elbow pads and a good rafting/skateboard/bike helmet is great for doing anything dangerous or rugged (forest gathering, hunting, exploring) safety glasses are cheap $3- or less per pair. And save your most precious of senses. Life jackets are good knee savers when working/planting near the ground. Good for makeshift Pillows and seat cushions. Bottle caps (metal) are great tools and have 100s of useful uses from fishing lures to de-scaling fish, cleaning, digging, place in chicken areas like lots of little bowls and will collect rain/dew for birds. Think bowl shaped bobby pins.

I save anything that resembles a tool or simple machine. Also old electrical appliance cords, great copper in side, makes great binding rope. Conducting agent, individual wire can be used for sewing/emergency suture.
THE LATEST READER SUGGESTIONS WERE:

A COMPLETE SEWING KIT WITH MANY TYPES OF NEEDLES, THREAD AND WIRE YOU CAN SEW WITH.

SEVERAL ROLLS OF DUCT TAPE, ELECTRICAL TAPE, WRAPPING TAPE
 

Survival Stockpilingmagine a catastrophe like an EMP attack that destroys our power infrastructure. Before long the pumps that bring us water and fuel will stop. What can you reasonably do to prepare to survive in such a post-apocalyptic world? You and those for whom you care will need clean water, food, and shelter. Eventually you may also find a need for other things, like medicine. If you own a rural estate you can transform into a fully self-sufficient compound that’s great, but suppose that, like most people, you can’t move far away from cities. With small amounts of land you might be able to install a well for fresh water and a garden capable of supplying some food. With extra storage space you can stockpile food, though to maintain a food stockpile you have to either adopt a regimented rotation system or buy extended shelf-life emergency stores that you refresh every ten years or so. You can’t stockpile significant amounts of fuel. At some point you will almost surely want something from somebody else. What can you acquire now that is easy to store and that would be very valuable to other people during a crisis? At this point you may expect me to shout “Gold!” or “Silver!” followed by an offer to sell you coins near the current spot market price. But I can’t imagine precious metals being worth very much in this scenario. You can’t eat them. They don’t keep you warm, nor do they protect or heal you. They are not particularly useful for anything, and not many people today are competent at authenticating a piece of metal as being precious, not counterfeit. In a crisis precious metals are about as useful as any other fiat currency; people will accept them only so long as they believe other people will. Therefore a wad of twenty-dollar bills would be just as good as a pocket of gold coins — probably better since people are familiar with paper currency. So it might make sense to keep some hard currency on hand, but in a major crisis where the supply of essential goods is in question barter will be the only kind of trade you can count on. One other thing you can count on in such a scenario: If you do possess essential goods there will be a lot of other people desperate to take them from you. Which brings me to the list of things I think are worth stockpiling for a crisis. Each of these has two key characteristics: High crisis value: These are things that you would want for yourself in a crisis, or that most other people would want enough to barter for in a crisis. Easy to store: This means they pack a lot of “crisis value” into a relatively small space, and also that they have an extended shelf-life. Which suggests: Knowledge and Skills. Granted, some knowledge will be in greater demand than other. Medical and survival skills are bound to be the most valuable. Mechanics, crafts, agriculture and husbandry will probably also be quite valuable. Nothing is easier to store than knowledge. Useful books are also easily stored. Weapons. Specifically firearms and ammunition. In a crisis there are those with guns and then there is everybody else. He who has a gun can defend himself and his possessions. He who does not is at the mercy of the mob. Guns and ammo have a virtually unlimited shelf-life if kept dry. They are also among the densest stores of value for crisis barter. Water. A well outfitted with a hand pump that produces high-quality water would be indispensable. Don’t overestimate the reliability of municipal water: During the 2003 Northeast Blackout taps began to run dry after less than twelve hours! Medicine. All varieties of analgesics, antibiotics, antifungals, antihistamines, antivirals, steroids, and vitamins are worth stockpiling. (If you are concerned about biological or radiological catastrophes be sure to add doxycycline and potassium iodide to the list.) They are a very dense store of value, though the ability to barter them may depend on how easily they can be authenticated. Actual shelf-life needs to be determined, since “expiration” dates are really just a lower bound on shelf-life. Other medical equipment should also be stockpiled though I would welcome a list prioritized by value density. Food. Extremely valuable, but bulky and difficult to store. You will almost certainly want as much as you can hold and maintain. Vendors like Walton Feed sell dehydrated food sealed with oxygen scrubbers that can last for decades when kept in cool, dark storage. Seeds. Eventually people with even a little land will want to start to grow food. In such a case seeds are much more valuable than food. But shelf-life is a concern as with food and drugs; all need to be stored in a cool, dry place to preserve potency. Liquor. Distilled alcohol seems to be a reliable and relatively dense store of value. It also has a virtually unlimited shelf-life. I would stockpile sealed bottles of mid-grade well-known brands of liquor for bartering. High in calories, alcohol can be used not only as food or fuel but also as an antiseptic or anesthetic in a pinch. Tools. Most likely hand tools since any fuel or power is bound to be scarce for the duration of a crisis. Here too I would welcome lists prioritized by value density.magine a catastrophe like an EMP attack that destroys our power infrastructure. Before long the pumps that bring us water and fuel will stop. What can you reasonably do to prepare to survive in such a post-apocalyptic world? You and those for whom you care will need clean water, food, and shelter. Eventually you may also find a need for other things, like medicine. If you own a rural estate you can transform into a fully self-sufficient compound that’s great, but suppose that, like most people, you can’t move far away from cities. With small amounts of land you might be able to install a well for fresh water and a garden capable of supplying some food. With extra storage space you can stockpile food, though to maintain a food stockpile you have to either adopt a regimented rotation system or buy extended shelf-life emergency stores that you refresh every ten years or so. You can’t stockpile significant amounts of fuel. At some point you will almost surely want something from somebody else. What can you acquire now that is easy to store and that would be very valuable to other people during a crisis? At this point you may expect me to shout “Gold!” or “Silver!” followed by an offer to sell you coins near the current spot market price. But I can’t imagine precious metals being worth very much in this scenario. You can’t eat them. They don’t keep you warm, nor do they protect or heal you. They are not particularly useful for anything, and not many people today are competent at authenticating a piece of metal as being precious, not counterfeit. In a crisis precious metals are about as useful as any other fiat currency; people will accept them only so long as they believe other people will. Therefore a wad of twenty-dollar bills would be just as good as a pocket of gold coins — probably better since people are familiar with paper currency. So it might make sense to keep some hard currency on hand, but in a major crisis where the supply of essential goods is in question barter will be the only kind of trade you can count on. One other thing you can count on in such a scenario: If you do possess essential goods there will be a lot of other people desperate to take them from you. Which brings me to the list of things I think are worth stockpiling for a crisis. Each of these has two key characteristics: High crisis value: These are things that you would want for yourself in a crisis, or that most other people would want enough to barter for in a crisis. Easy to store: This means they pack a lot of “crisis value” into a relatively small space, and also that they have an extended shelf-life. Which suggests: Knowledge and Skills. Granted, some knowledge will be in greater demand than other. Medical and survival skills are bound to be the most valuable. Mechanics, crafts, agriculture and husbandry will probably also be quite valuable. Nothing is easier to store than knowledge. Useful books are also easily stored. Weapons. Specifically firearms and ammunition. In a crisis there are those with guns and then there is everybody else. He who has a gun can defend himself and his possessions. He who does not is at the mercy of the mob. Guns and ammo have a virtually unlimited shelf-life if kept dry. They are also among the densest stores of value for crisis barter. Water. A well outfitted with a hand pump that produces high-quality water would be indispensable. Don’t overestimate the reliability of municipal water: During the 2003 Northeast Blackout taps began to run dry after less than twelve hours! Medicine. All varieties of analgesics, antibiotics, antifungals, antihistamines, antivirals, steroids, and vitamins are worth stockpiling. (If you are concerned about biological or radiological catastrophes be sure to add doxycycline and potassium iodide to the list.) They are a very dense store of value, though the ability to barter them may depend on how easily they can be authenticated. Actual shelf-life needs to be determined, since “expiration” dates are really just a lower bound on shelf-life. Other medical equipment should also be stockpiled though I would welcome a list prioritized by value density. Food. Extremely valuable, but bulky and difficult to store. You will almost certainly want as much as you can hold and maintain. Vendors like Walton Feed sell dehydrated food sealed with oxygen scrubbers that can last for decades when kept in cool, dark storage. Seeds. Eventually people with even a little land will want to start to grow food. In such a case seeds are much more valuable than food. But shelf-life is a concern as with food and drugs; all need to be stored in a cool, dry place to preserve potency. Liquor. Distilled alcohol seems to be a reliable and relatively dense store of value. It also has a virtually unlimited shelf-life. I would stockpile sealed bottles of mid-grade well-known brands of liquor for bartering. High in calories, alcohol can be used not only as food or fuel but also as an antiseptic or anesthetic in a pinch. Tools. Most likely hand tools since any fuel or power is bound to be scarce for the duration of a crisis. Here too I would welcome lists prioritized by value density.

imagine a catastrophe like an EMP attack that destroys our power infrastructure.  Before long the pumps that bring us water and fuel will stop.  What can you reasonably do to prepare to survive in such a post-apocalyptic world?  You and those for whom you care will need clean water, food, and shelter.  Eventually you may also find a need for other things, like medicine.
If you own a rural estate you can transform into a fully self-sufficient compound that’s great, but suppose that, like most people, you can’t move far away from cities.  With small amounts of land you might be able to install a well for fresh water and a garden capable of supplying some food.  With extra storage space you can stockpile food, though to maintain a food stockpile you have to either adopt a regimented rotation system or buy extended shelf-life emergency stores that you refresh every ten years or so.  You can’t stockpile significant amounts of fuel.
At some point you will almost surely want something from somebody else.  What can you acquire now that is easy to store and that would be very valuable to other people during a crisis?  At this point you may expect me to shout “Gold!” or “Silver!” followed by an offer to sell you coins near the current spot market price.  But I can’t imagine precious metals being worth very much in this scenario.  You can’t eat them.  They don’t keep you warm, nor do they protect or heal you.  They are not particularly useful for anything, and not many people today are competent at authenticating a piece of metal as being precious, not counterfeit.  In a crisis precious metals are about as useful as any other fiat currency; people will accept them only so long as they believe other people will.  Therefore a wad of twenty-dollar bills would be just as good as a pocket of gold coins — probably better since people are familiar with paper currency.
So it might make sense to keep some hard currency on hand, but in a major crisis where the supply of essential goods is in question barter will be the only kind of trade you can count on.  One other thing you can count on in such a scenario: If you do possess essential goods there will be a lot of other people desperate to take them from you.  Which brings me to the list of things I think are worth stockpiling for a crisis.  Each of these has two key characteristics:

• High crisis value: These are things that you would want for yourself in a crisis, or that most other people would want enough to barter for in a crisis.
• Easy to store: This means they pack a lot of “crisis value” into a relatively small space, and also that they have an extended shelf-life.

Which suggests:

1. Knowledge and Skills.  Granted, some knowledge will be in greater demand than other.  Medical and survival skills are bound to be the most valuable.  Mechanics, crafts, agriculture and husbandry will probably also be quite valuable.  Nothing is easier to store than knowledge.  Useful books are also easily stored.
2. Weapons.  Specifically firearms and ammunition.  In a crisis there are those with guns and then there is everybody else.  He who has a gun can defend himself and his possessions.  He who does not is at the mercy of the mob.  Guns and ammo have a virtually unlimited shelf-life if kept dry.  They are also among the densest stores of value for crisis barter.
3. Water.  A well outfitted with a hand pump that produces high-quality water would be indispensable.  Don’t overestimate the reliability of municipal water: During the 2003 Northeast Blackout taps began to run dry after less than twelve hours!
4. Medicine.  All varieties of analgesics, antibiotics, antifungals, antihistamines, antivirals, steroids, and vitamins are worth stockpiling.  (If you are concerned about biological or radiological catastrophes be sure to add doxycycline and potassium iodide to the list.)  They are a very dense store of value, though the ability to barter them may depend on how easily they can be authenticated.  Actual shelf-life needs to be determined, since “expiration” dates are really just a lower bound on shelf-life.  Other medical equipment should also be stockpiled though I would welcome a list prioritized by value density.
5. Food.  Extremely valuable, but bulky and difficult to store.  You will almost certainly want as much as you can hold and maintain.  Vendors like Walton Feed sell dehydrated food sealed with oxygen scrubbers that can last for decades when kept in cool, dark storage.
6. Seeds.  Eventually people with even a little land will want to start to grow food.  In such a case seeds are much more valuable than food.  But shelf-life is a concern as with food and drugs; all need to be stored in a cool, dry place to preserve potency.
7. Liquor.  Distilled alcohol seems to be a reliable and relatively dense store of value.  It also has a virtually unlimited shelf-life.  I would stockpile sealed bottles of mid-grade well-known brands of liquor for bartering.  High in calories, alcohol can be used not only as food or fuel but also as an antiseptic or anesthetic in a pinch.
8. Tools.  Most likely hand tools since any fuel or power is bound to be scarce for the duration of a crisis.  Here too I would welcome lists prioritized by value density BASIC LIST OF SUGGESTED ITEMS

Emergency Stockpile List

Most of us have never needed to survive an extended
emergency situation or a time when the conveniences of
normal everyday life are no longer available. Not having
heat, lights, running water, shelter from the elements and
food would devastate most families. The truth is, we as
comfortable satisfied Americans don’t know what it’s like
to sacrifice. The following Emergency Stockpile List could
never prepare you for all emergencies, but it can help you
start thinking about what you might need, just in case.
Some of the things on the list you may already have and
some of the things on the list may just not be relevant
to you. There are six headings on this list and I have put
them in what I consider to be the order of importance.
Family and Friends
This may seem strange in a self-centered, self-reliant, selfindulgent,
“me-me-me” society, but it’s crucial for survival.
If you have family and friends, it makes the smaller
challenges seem like no problem at all and even the most
devastating circumstances become manageable when
shared with loved ones. If you don’t have close family or
friends, I recommend you join a prayer group. A group
of people dedicated to helping each other through
prayer will, over time, become sensitive to the needs and
concerns of the individuals of the group as well as the
group overall. This is also a place where the higher cost
items can be purchased and shared to benefit more than
just one person. You might want to start a food pantry at
church to help those in need, just a little something to
make it to the next payday. There are many ways to use
the buying power of a group to get more for your money.
For whatever reason, use the power of, the assets of, and
the talents of a group, because everyone will benefit.
Water
Water is simple: one gallon per person per day, that’s
it. The thing is, when it doesn’t come out of the faucet,
you have to be sure it’s drinkable. One solution is
bottled water. And the best way to stockpile water is in
one-gallon jugs. Gallon jugs store best in those plastic
milk containers, four bottles to a container that stacks
to conserve space. Remember, one gallon per day per
person adds up quick. Ten people for ten days equal
one hundred gallons of water. Also, one gallon of water
weighs about eight pounds, so ten people for ten days
equal eight hundred pounds. Another suggestion is
chemical treatments. Bleach, iodine, and other chemicals
kill most of the bacteria in water, so it’s a good idea to
keep some of these handy, if your stockpile is focused
on ten or more people for an extended period of time.
Another method for clean water is filtration. There are
many filters on the market that are either gravity-fed
or use a mechanical pump. They work well, especially
when combined with chemical treatment. The very best
method, and this is where family and friends help each
other if you are thinking long-term, is a portable solarpowered
ultraviolet water purifying system. These are
expensive, but they are no bigger than a suitcase, need
no electricity, and can supply about one hundred gallons
of clean water per day.
Food
Food, like water, is basically simple. You need about 1200-
1500 calories per person per day to survive. There are
many kits available that contain water and 200-calorie
power bars to sustain two to three people for two to three
days. You can purchase larger kits for more people and for
a longer period of time. If you are considering stockpiling
food for a group of people for a serious amount of time,
it’s a good idea to consider canned foods and dried or
powdered foods instead of the expensive power bars.
Remember, these items will take up a larger space but
you will have a greater variety and more control over your
food resources. Items such as powdered milk, powdered
drink mixes like Gatorade, powdered eggs, canned meats,
dried meats, and peanut butter are all good options. Just
have everyone in the group make a list of what they think
would be necessary to survive an extended emergency.
NOTE: Don’t forget the can opener.
The Victory Garden
During World War II, the American people were called
upon to sacrifice. There was rationing and there were
shortages of many commodities and goods. One of the
Emergency Stockpile List
Produced by
Jerry Robinson Ministries International
benefits of this sacrifice was the implementation of the
victory garden. This garden was a family and community
project. The use of this type of a shared food source
can be very beneficial in times of emergency. It doesn’t
take a large space and you will be surprised what can be
grown in as small as a 10’ x10’ garden. This small space is
capable of supplying a tremendous amount of delicious
homegrown tomatoes, summer squash, and fresh onions.
If a neighborhood pulls together and plants a larger
garden plot, the savings and the fruits and vegetables
can benefit many people.
Another suggestion might be to replace ornamental
flowers, trees, and shrubs in the landscape with trees and
plants that produce food. There are many good books
and eager farmers that can give you insight and wisdom
on planting and harvesting food crops.
Clothing
Each person needs a minimum of one change of clothes.
Add to that a pair of thermal underwear, one blanket,
and an extra pair of shoes. The shoes need to be heavysoled,
either hiking or work boots, preferably lace-up and
Gortex-lined to be waterproof. Remember, layers will
keep you warmer, so if you have a thermal top covered
with a t-shirt covered with a long sleeve shirt covered
with a jacket or coat, you will be able to adjust your
temperature by removing or adding layers. It’s just much
more practical and much more comfortable. It wouldn’t
hurt to include a hat, scarf, and gloves. A baseball-type
cap will also help shield you from the sun, but your ears
are exposed, so a wide-brimmed hat is better.
First Aid
Most of us have an assortment of over-the-counter
products we use occasionally for the scrapes, cuts, pains,
and ailments of everyday life. Most of us, however,
are not prepared for an emergency. If there were no
hospital emergency room at our disposal, what would
we do? There are many types of prepackaged first aid
kits available, from small to large and from affordable to
expensive. Unlike food and water, a first aid stockpile is
not based on the number of people and number of days.
It is based on the number of people plus the magnitude
of the emergency. When faced with a large scale
emergency, your compassion should reach out to help
as many people as possible, so the amount of your first
aid stockpile should be as much as you can afford. One
company, QuakeKare (http://www.quakekare.com) has
kits for all budgets. The Trauma Central Supply Kit comes
in a five-gallon plastic bucket and costs about $200. As
with any kit, you will probably want to supplement it
with products it does not include. The following list will
help you put together an emergency first aid supply
kit that is portable and right for you. Use your group’s
resources. If you know someone in the medical industry,
talk to them. Their experience will be beneficial. You will
need a good, basic first aid book. It is also helpful to
have as many in your group as possible take classes in
first aid and CPR. An easy place to find out about this is
http://www.redcross.org
Ace (elastic) bandage (4”)
Activated charcoal (contact your local poison control center)
Adhesive tape ( ½”, 1”, and 2” widths)
Ammonia inhalants
Analgesic cream (camphophenique, etc.)
Antacid (Tums, Pepto-Bismol, etc.)
Anti-diarrheal (Immodium, etc.)
Antihistamine (Benadryl, etc.)
Antiseptic Ointment (Neosporin, etc.)
Bandages (come in many shapes, sizes, and kinds)
Band-aids (one box each of assorted sizes and widths)
Butterfly sutures (leukostrips)
Blankets (probably ten)
Box of maxi-pads
Cold packs and hot packs (instant and reusable)
Cold/Flu tablets (Nyquil, etc.)
Cotton balls and cotton swabs
Cough Syrup and Drops (Robitussin, etc.)
Decongestant (Actifed, etc.)
Dental floss (unwaxed)
Eyedropper and turkey baster (for the big job)
Eye wash (sterile saline solution)
Gauze Bandages (2”x2”, 3”x3”, 4”x4”, 18”x36”)
Gauze Rolls (assorted widths)
Gauze Sponges (4”x4”)
Gloves (disposable, surgical type)
Inflate-a-shield CPR mask
Isopropyl Alcohol (70% and 90%) plus moistened towelettes or prep pads
Laxative (Ex-Lax, etc.)
Lip Balm (Chapstick, etc.)
Magnifying glass or jeweler’s visor
Nail clippers
Nausea or Motion Sickness (Dramamine, etc.)
Pain Relievers (aspirin and non-aspirin)
Petroleum Jelly
Provodone-iodine (ointment packets)
Radiation Protection (Potassium Iodate or Potassium Iodide)
Razor blades (single edge)
Safety pins (assorted sizes)
Scalpel
Scissors (pointed, surgical)
Second-skin bandages (for burns)
Sewing kit
Soap (surgical, antibacterial) and betadine solution
Splints (aluminum finger splints and SAM splints)
Sunburn Relief (Solarcaine, etc.)
Tefla Pads (2”x3”)
Thermometer (disposable or digital, no breakables containing mercury)
Tongue depressors
Toothache Relief (Anbesol, etc.)
Triangular bandages
Tweezers and 6” hemostats (locking pliers)
Vomit Inducer (Ipecac, etc.)
No list could ever be absolutely complete. As you go over
this list and start to assemble your kit, you will no doubt
find more items that you want to include. Remember,
white five-gallon sealable plastic buckets are not only
lightweight, stackable, and waterproof, but you can label
the lid with a black marker for easy reference.
Shelter
A house is not a home without a four-man tent. If you plan
for a four-man tent for every three people, with the Grace
of GOD, you may only have to put six people to a tent.
In a time of emergency, make-shift shelter is often the
only shelter some people have. Sleeping on the ground
in inclement weather is more than uncomfortable; it
can also be unhealthy. So many things are needed. It is
impossible to give a complete, precise list. So we’re going
to give you some ideas to help you improvise when the
emergency arises. GOD be with you.
Aside from the tents, you will need many of the items
listed below:
Assorted camping supplies (knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, pots, pans)
Axe
Baking soda
Bleach (no additives, unscented)
Buckets, 5-gallon (several)
Candles (plumber’s candles burn longer)
Cash
Cell phone
Duct tape
Emergency radio (a solar-powered or hand-cranked radio/flashlight/cell
phone charger combo)
Flares
Hammer and nails
Hand saw/Limb saw
Kitchen matches (10 boxes strike anywhere)
Lantern and flashlights (non-battery type or battery type with supply of
batteries)
Matchlight charcoal (at least 10 pounds)
Personal medications
Plastic trash bags that fit a 5-gallon bucket (latrine)
Portable shower (sold at most sports stores - use black, plastic jugs and
the sun to heat water)
Rope (at least 100 feet)
Shovel
Sleeping bags
Trash bags (large)
Waterproof container for matches
Waterproof tarps (can be made into tents with a little rope and
imagination)
Work gloves
While far from complete, this should give you somewhat
of an idea of the things necessary to survive in the event
of an extreme emergency. Remember our best resource
is the LORD and our most important possession is faith in
Him. Pray daily and pray often with faith believing.
Other useful links:
http://www.nationalterroralert.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-kits/FA00067
http://www.aqua-sun-intl.com/
http://www.ready.gov/

Post-economic collapse emergency survival list: Food Storage Ideas & Misc

Reference: EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS for Martial Law (very long but 'important' if you want to live)
1987 stock market crash redux - Global economic collapse to occur?
Found the list at Good Earth Health Food store.
Food Storage Ideas
Family Size: 1
Time frame 1 year
Wheat...................175 lbs
Flour...................20 lbs
Quinoa..................30 lbs
Rolled Oats.............50 lbs
White Rice..............80 lbs
Pearled Barley..........5 lbs
Spaghetti Or Macaroni...40 lbs
Dry Beans...............45 lbs
Dry Soy Beans...........2 lbs
Dry Split Peas..........2 lbs
Dry Lentils.............2 lbs
Dry Soup Mix............7 lbs
Peanut Butter...........1 qt
Almont Butter...........1 qt
Nonfat Dry Milk.........14 lbs
Granulated Sugar........40 lbs
Molasses................1 lb
Honey...................3 lbs
Beef Gelatin............1 lb
Salt....................8 lbs
Dry Yeast...............0.5 lbs
Water...................28 gal.
Multiply items 1x per additional family size

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Found the list on a web site, here's the list for posterity
100 Items to Disappear First
1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens
From a Sarajevo War Survivor:
Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war - death of parents and
friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.
1. Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources.
2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold's.
4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity - it's the easiest to do without (unless you're in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)
5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy - it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to "warm", not to cook. It's cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk.
6. Bring some books - escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it's great to have a lot of survival guides, but you'll figure most of that out on your own anyway - trust me, you'll have a lot of time on your hands.
7. The feeling that you're human can fade pretty fast. I can't tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.
8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches

____________________

For more references on survival, google "emergency survival" & "emergency food" for the myriad of links to relevant sites. Even reading the how-to survival books might help (check out the list at Amazon by inputting "survival" in Books section and search around for particular books).
Of course, if one can afford and get over the 'irrational fear' of firearms (unless the city, state or national law where you live expressly forbid the ownership of certain firearm with the threat of jail and penalties, like New York state and Australia), the ownership of firearms will be essential to survival. A bow, set of arrows and field dressing kit & manual might help in hunting wild game for roasting & consumption. Just my idea.

Bug Out Bag

"Survivalism" as it's called in the mass media is more an art than a
science-there are dang few right or wrong answers. The unofficial motto of
our newsgroup is "Your Mileage May Vary," and rightly so. These represent
the best answers that I can find for my situation, generalized as much
as possible without losing all general value. Your situation is probably
a fair bit different, and you should use your local conditions and local
needs to drive your planning. This document is neither a recipe, nor a
road map. It's merely a prod to tell you a few of the problems that you
should be pondering.
1) What is a bugout bag?
A bugout bag is a bag that a person keeps pre-packed for emergencies.
Should that person be forced to evacuate their home and be unable to call
upon their usual services due to emergency, the bugout bag is essentially
what they live out of.
2) How do I decide if I need one?
Is there ANYTHING that you need to worry about that could cause either a
lack of essential services or a need to evacuate?
Let me put it another way: Do you live in a utopia with absolutely no
severe weather, no floods, no hailstones, no crime, no riots, no
tornadoes, no hurricanes, no meteor strikes, no terrorism, and is the very
picture of Heaven on Earth? I doubt it. Therefore, you need a bugout bag.
2.5) How do I decide whether or not I need to bug out?
That's a toughie. It depends upon the incident.
In cases of hurricanes, it's generally a good idea if you're directly in
the hurricane's path. Modern houses simply cannot be expected to withstand
the strong winds that hurricanes bring. Ditto wildfires. They don't bring
high winds, but they will burn your house down around you if they get
there.
On the other hand, tornadoes are probably a good excuse to hole up in the
basement. The damage from tornadoes is extremely localized, and the lead
time is too short.
In the case of earthquakes, there's no lead time at all to be able to
escape and an attempt will more often than not result in being stuck in
traffic-one of the worst situations to be in.
In the case of a HazMat spill, you almost certainly should get the hell
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out. Hazardous Materials got their name for a reason, and it's extremely
difficult to make a house airtight to the degree necessary.
Civil disturbance is one of the trickiest questions. If the riot is
severe, and appears to be spreading towards your neighborhood, then your
best bet is to run. On the other hand, if the rioting is not spreading
your way, then to run might result in being stuck in traffic, or in the
fighting.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to bug out or sit tight will have to
be made based upon your own individual situation. Obviously, you will want
to select the option that maximizes your chances of survival. Therefore,
you'll want to consider the following:
a) What is my threat? Is my home adequately hardened against this threat?
b) If I leave, do I have a specific destination in mind? Will I become a
refugee? Is the threat at home so serious that I am willing to risk being
a refugee or entering a shelter?
c) Can I get there from here? Do I have a route pre-planned and alternate
routes figured out? Are there any choke points on my route such as bridges
or freeways that might be out of service because of weather or rioting or
chemical spills?
d) Am I in less danger at home than at my bugout destination?
3) What do I put in this bag?
Let that be determined by what may cause you to have to bug out.
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency makes certain recommendations.
They recommend that each person keep food, water, clothing appropriate to
the season, medicines, and sanitary needs for a bare minimum of three days.
As a simple fact, relief agencies can not be relied upon to begin
supplying any real level of relief services for a minimum of 72 hours and
are overtaxed and overextended even when running at their maximum efficiency.
The less that you need to rely on a service that may or may not be
available, the safer you can justifiably feel. For this reason, I
personally would recommend a bare minimum of a week's supplies, assuming
that food, gasoline, batteries, clean water, and clean clothing can not be
found, and that police, fire, and ambulance service will be severely
overextended and therefore not entirely reliable..
3.1) Food:
Figure a bare minimum of 2000 calories of food with 60 grams of protein
per day, biased heavily towards starches but with extra fats in the winter.
Cooking supplies (stoves, firewood, gas) will be limited- this whole thing
will be like a one-man birthday party. You get no presents that you didn't
bring for yourself.
Personally, I like ramen noodles, powerbars, summer sausage or beef jerky,
trail mix, and vitamin supplements. Boring fare indeed, but you can live
off of it for a while if need be. Some correspondents have suggested
macaroni carried in ziplock bags, some have said salt pork and ship's
biscuit, and therefore we conclude that Your Mileage May Vary. If you don't
reasonably expect to have to travel a significant distance on foot, you can
supplement that with canned foods that can be eaten cold or reheated as
possible. Canned stew, canned spaghetti, canned pork and beans, all work
well for this. (In all things, these should be foods that you're somewhat
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accustomed to, lest you get sick from 'intestinal culture shock.')
Also, if you drink coffee, tea, or pop on a regular basis, you may be a
caffeine addict without knowing it. Sudden deprivation may affect your
judgement or your ability to think, sleep, or work, and keeping coffee or
tea in your bag is advised. As a matter of fact, some wilderness
Emergency Medical Technicians have been seen to carry caffeine pills
(Vivarin or similar) for this very reason. In the same vein, smokers or
recent ex-smokers like myself should keep nicotine gum or patches
packed-staying quit under the stress of an emergency evacuation is not
going to be the easiest thing in the world.
Any good book on backpacking should have a number of recipes involving
lightweight food that requires no refrigeration. The "Sports" section of
the local Barne's and Noble or the back of the Sierra Club magazine both
have a number of books about this very subject. Also, Backpacker magazine
has recipes for lightweight foods that don't need refrigeration, or so my
spies inform me. And then there's the Boy Scouts of America Cooking merit
badge pamphlet, with a few recipes of its own. (I'd suggest a bottle of
tabasco sauce would improve ANY of them)
3.2) Water:
The average human needs a gallon per day for drinking alone. There ain't
any two ways around it-without water you will die within three days, and
it won't be a pleasant way to go. (It has been suggested by one m.s
correspondent that it's possible to live on half of this if you don't move
much, don't move at all except in the cool of the night, and ration sweat
ruthlessly. Given how likely it is that you'll be able to sit still for
three days, however, I stand by my claim of a gallon a day, more in
summer and more in deserts)
There are multiple ways to store water. The less-imaginative (and still
quite successful) person would keep water jugs of the type used in car
camping. Some people will take a clean 2-liter pop bottle, fill it about
3/4 full from the tap, and add a small amount of bleach. Then, cap the bottle
and freeze it. This ensures that the drinking water in question will be cold
and potable (when thawed), and can be used to keep perishables from
spoiling.
Some people reported using 15-gallon pony kegs (normally used for beer) to
store drinking water. I've never tried this, but it does seem feasible.
Beyond drinking water, you'll also need water for basic hygiene. That
starts at another gallon a day, and the sky's the limit.
Do you have a way to purify water? The easiest method that I know of is to
treat the water with an iodine preparation such as Potable Aqua or
PolarPure. I use PolarPure, as it's probably the cheapest way for an
individual to disinfect water, but Potable Aqua is probably a bit easier.
My emergency bag also contains a MSR Miniworks water filter with a
spare filter element. See Patton Turner's Water Purification FAQ elsewhere
on this web site for more info.
3.3) Medicines:
In short, if you don't know how to use it, don't bother keeping it.
If you use any medicine on a regular basis, make sure you have a supply
on hand, be it nitro pills, Paxil, allergy medicine, birth-control pills,
or whatever.
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Anything else, don't keep it if you don't know how to use it. If you've
never been trained or instructed in the use of a particular medicine by a
competent medical professional, then remedy that deficiency before adding
to your stash.
For what it's worth, an OTC pain reliever, an antacid, an
antihistamine, and some sort of anti-diarrhea med have been known to come
in pretty durn handy. If you expect to have to evacuate to a place above
8,000 feet or therabouts, you might want to talk to your doctor about
drugs to treat altitude sickness.
While not strictly a drug, insect repellent and bug nets have their place.
Mostquitoes and ticks are a royal pain, and chiggers can make you almost
with you'd stayed behind and died. Some people claim that garlic and/or
lots of B vitamins work quite well...personally, I prefer a pure liquid
DEET mixture. Again, YMMV. (Recent fluff pieces on CNN have mentioned that
the mosquito genus _Anopheles_, which carries malaria, has been spotted in
small areas of the southern US for the first time in decades. If you live
in Florida or Texas that should affect your planning, as a disaster that
makes you evacuate may also interrupt mosquito abatement)
Few first aid skills can be self-taught. It's heartily advised that you
seek a high pre-professional level of skill in first aid (First Responder
or EMT would be good) and supplement that with a book such as Auerbach's
_Medicine for the Outdoors_ _AND_ consultation with your doctor regarding
the material. Through your doctor, you can also get medicines that are
potentially quite useful but not OTC.
3.4) Hygienic needs:
First and foremost, soap. When regular medical attention is less than fully
reliable, the ability to prevent infection becomes even more important.
Maybe you have a topical antibiotic like Neosporin (as most of us do) but
that's not much help until you already get infected.
Along with the soap, a clean hand towel makes washing easier.
Pre-moistened towellettes like the ones they give out on airplanes, or
alcohol prep pads, can make cleaning a little easier. Just remember to
pack out your trash. (BTW, alcohol pads on broken or cut skin sting like
hell-be forewarned)
Need one mention toilet paper? Non-poison-sumac leaves, cornhusks, et
cetera aren't always so easy to find. Diapers if you have small children
travelling with you.
Got any plans for sunburn or windburn? Some Chapstick and a bottle of
SPF 15 sunblock is essential unless you plan to stay inside. Even then,
sunblock is cheap. (And don't try to get out of it based upon it being
winter-snow reflects a lot of sunlight right into your face. For that
reason, a good pair of impact-resistant sunglasses is useful in summer
and essential in winter.)
3.5) Light
Hard to see without it.
You'll need a good, solid, durable flashlight at the least. I personally
keep a 2AA Mini-Maglite with at least one spare bulb and two changes of
spare batteries dedicated to the bugout bag, and also have a 2D MagLite
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with extra bulb and batteries next to the bed.
Bedyond that, an area light can be rather useful. Something like a
lantern and/or a bunch of Cyalume lightsticks are quite useful for
actually trying to work under bad lighting conditions.
If you go with a lantern, using a lantern capable of burning the same fuel
as your stove, space heater, whatever makes your supply situation a _lot_
simpler.
Let your needs drive your planning.
3.6) Navigation:
How well do you know the roads in your county? In the neighboring counties?
Think you have it perfect?
I thought so.
There's no shame in that-six, seven counties make a _lot_ of roads to
memorize. I couldn't do it for Douglas County, Kansas, and I know better
than to even try for something as complex as Chicago.
Start with a decent compass (I like the Silva Ranger 15CL, but that's a
little feature-rich and high-dollar for most people who just want a backup).
A cheaper Silva or Suunto should be adequate for the non-compass-obsessed
<vbg>.Carrying a second compass to avoid the problem of one getting a
little out of whack is advised. Avoid the really cheap ones.
Add to that both road maps and topo maps for your county and the
surrounding counties. Road maps are available from the American Automobile
Association (membership with them is valuable in any case, and especially
when you need either maps, towing, or a bond card) or a respectable
bookstore, and topo maps can be had from the U.S. Geological Survey or
state Geological Survey. In many areas, both types are available from the
county surveyor's office. County Surveyors also know the magnetic
declination of your county, and can help you get your compass properly
adjusted.
Beyond that, GPS and other toys may be nice, but I don't much care for
them. Too much money for a gadget that does what your brain and a map can
do, and they'll make you overconfident besides. And let's not even get
started on batteries.
The Boy Scouts of America publishes a merit badge pamphlet on Orienteering.
While not being a perfect manual, this pamphlet is both inexpensive and
will provide a more-or-less adequate education-especially when
supplemented with the sort of expert instruction that can be had from
an Outward Bound or Sierra Club outing.
3.7) Clothing and Shelter:
Pack at least one full change appropriate to the season, plus extra underwear
and socks. (Note: 'Appropriate to the season' means _no_ cotton outerwear
or longjohns in the winter-that's asking to freeze to death).
Then add a coat. Then a hat. Then gloves. Then footwear (I like a pair of
Wolverine steel-toed boots with lug soles, and adding a pair of wool-lined
mukluks in the winter and track shoes or sandals in the summer).
At the bare minimum, you'll need a tarp of some kind to keep the wind and
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rain off-and that's in the summer. In the winter, you'll need to add a
decent sleeping bag, shell, and matress. Luxury is unimportant, but being
able to remain warm even with wet equipment is critical.
It would be wise to refer to a good reference on backpacking for ideas on
what to wear.
3.8) Tools
A knife is essential-sturdy, sharp knives are among the most useful tools
made. The big "rambo" knives are almost useless, though. A sturdy folder
(Buck or Schrade or Gerber or the like) and _maybe_ a midsize sheath knife
or kukri/parang is all you need.
Pliers, shovels/E-tools can be helpful, but can also be extra weight. A
good compromise are the so-called "Leatherman" tools-I personally like the
Gerber version over the Leatherman. It's ten bucks more, but the handles
don't pinch the skin off your fingers when you use the pliers)
Duct tape can fix anthing-they don't call it the "handyman's best friend"
for nothing.
As for other tools, well, let your needs drive your plans.
If you bring canned food, bring a can opener. You can get cheap folding
P-38 can openers at Walmart three for a buck. Not having one to open your
beans is frustrating sometimes.
Some sort of cordage is almost a requirement. I personally like parachute
cord, but some correspondents have reported that nylon seine twine is
almost as strong, a little more widely available, and takes up a fair bit
less space.
3.9) Weapons
KNOW YOUR LOCAL LAWS! Bugging out only to end up in jail facing a weapons
charge is a _bad_ way to handle an emergency.
Let your needs drive your planning. Do you plan to fight an infantry
engagement? If the answer to this is 'yes' then a full rifle or shotgun is
indicated, along with a psychiatric evaluation. Fighting a war while
running from a chemical spill would at the least be really bad timing.
At any rate, too many guns and too much ammunition will weigh you down,
and has a nasty habit of seeming indiscreet.
Whatever weapons you do carry, make damned sure that they will function even
with a lack of regular maintanance, that you can maintain them with a
minimum of equipment, and that you can shoot effectively. You owe that
much to the people around you-an armed untrained man is nothing more than
a danger to himself and others. (People who want advice should probably
think very hard, and then post to misc.survivalism. You'll get advice.
You'll probably get a lot more advice than you wanted. I can give advice
by email, but I am neither an expert on firearms, nor firearms laws, nor
your local conditions and your own needs, and I'm not generally inclined
to discuss my own plans.)
3.10) Signalling and Radios
First, I'd refer you to the Communications FAQ elsewhere on this website
and posted to the misc.survivalism newsgroup.
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A radio capable of receiving all-news formatted AM stations should be the
first radio that you add. After that, a licensed ham should add a 144MHz
FM handheld with extra batteries, and an unlicensed individual should get
a license. (Anyone wanting to bitch about my politics for adding the bit
about licenses should redirect their comments to dev/null where they'll
get just as much attention)
3.11) Misc. Stuff
Keys-when you lock the house you'll probably want to be able to unlock it
afterwards. Also, do you have spare car keys? Spare mailbox key?
Safe-deposit-box key?
Extra photo ID just for the bugout is a help-an old military ID or expired
driver's license...non-US citizens should have their passports and visas
with them at ALL times. Also, copies of your insurance policies can be a
big help should the house need repair or you need medical care. If you
live in one of the third-world backwaters like Illinois that requires a
specific ID to transport a firearm, then you want a copy of that if your
bag includes a gun.
A pre-paid phone card goes a long way too...you might just need to call
Mom and tell her that you won't be in for dinner that weekend because
you're running for your life.
Passport can be helpful, and if you're outside of your country of
citizenship then you do not want to be separated from your passport or WHO
Yellow Book _EVER_.
3.12) Packing it all up
You need a bag that will hold all this stuff, with some degree of protection
from the elements. Personally, I prefer just using a large bookbag...keep
it simple. (Plus, in college towns like this one a backpack doesn't look
all that out of place). As a rule of thumb, if the bag is perfectly packed
when you first pack it, then once you open it up in the field you'll never
get it repacked. Therefore, a bag should probably be about half again as
big as you actually need.
Note about brands of equipment:
I'm not a big fan of US Military-issue equipment. It's made by the lowest
bidder in a contracting system that seems driven more by politics than by
producing quality equipment, and as a result almost all of the Mil-Spec
gear that I've used has turned out to be shoddily-made crap. Well, not all
of it. My canteens have held up well, as has my ripstop poncho. OTOH, I've
ruined more ALICE packs through normal use than I care to think about.
The REI house brand is usually serviceable-my current pack was made by REI
and has seen almost three years of moderately hard use with very little
apparent wear.
As far as compasses go, the higher-end Silvas, Suuntos, and Bruntons are
almost identical in quality as far as I can tell. They all run in the
$40-$50 range.
High-grade sleeping bags abound-I currently have an Slumberjack Everest
Elite that has served well for almost ten years, but is now facing
retirement-sleeping bags lose their insulating power with time. Still
perfectly adequate for 3-season use, but not for winter if I have any
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choice in the matter. (Editor's note-the bag has since been supplanted by
a Sierra Designs synthetic-fill model rated down to +5 degrees F
...excellent bag for winter use if a little bulky)
For knives-if you want a folder, you want a lock-blade for safety reasons.
Buck and Gerber knives tend to be _very_ well made, warrantied from here
to eternity, and hold their edges reasonably well.
As far as sheath knives go-I like the Buck Special with 6" blade.
Everything else that's at all well made is is way beyond my budget. (Well,
except for the US Marine-issue KaBar, which is heavy and a little awkward
in my opinion. Others will disagree.)
I won't recommend one firearm over another in this document. Shooting
skill takes precedence over the choice of firearm itself any day.
My own kit:
Backpack of the day, (Either a Lowe Alpine day pack or a medium REI
Traverse Newstar, depending on the season):
One pair of cheap imitation Carhartts work pants
wool shirt
two changes of underwear
two pairs of wool socks with capilene liner socks
two t-shirts
change of longjohns (late fall through early spring)
small towel
All packed in large ziplock bags
gloves (lightweight wool liners and medium-weight leather shells)
wool watch cap
shatter-resistant sunglasses
wool scarf
Spyderco folding knife
Buck Special sheath knife
Gerber Multi-Tool
50' duct tape
50' parachute cord
one bottle, aspirin
one bottle, Pepcid
one tube, generic triple antibiotic ointment
ten 3"x3" gauze pads
30 assorted bandaids
one roll, adhesive tape
two pairs, surgical gloves
8-oz bottle, Doctor Bronners miracle patent medicine soap or whatever.
one bottle, SPF 15 waterproof sunblock
one bottle, 100% DEET bug dope
3 days worth of Nicoret (TEOTW would be a bad time for a relapse :)
Mini-Mag light, extra bulb, two sets of extra AA batteries
six Cyalume light sticks, assorted colors
AM radio, with more batteries of its own.
Yaesu 2M/440 HT, with yet more batteries
compass
Food bag containing: Hot cereal mix, tea bags, jerky, powerbars, ramen
noodles, Tabasco sauce, small sealed bottle of vitamin pills, and the like
(Roughly 10,000 calories total)
MSR Whisperlite 600 with about a quart of white gas
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two 1Q Nalgene lexan water bottles, two 1Q army surplus canteens, and a
half-gallon water bag.
One MSR MiniWorks filter-make sure that the filter element is in good
shape.
Mil-surplus ripstop poncho with liner
sleeping bag and ridgerest pad(Oct 15-april 15)
Armaments as dictated by local laws and situation
(When I go camping normally, the above is what I take although I leave the
radio at home and bring better food)
old school ID
medical insurance card
spare apartment and truck keys
$25 prepaid phone card
$50 paper
~$5 in change
topo maps of Douglas and part of Jefferson Counties, KS. (stored in car)
Road maps of KS, MO, and NE (stored in car)
E911 map of my county (stored in car)
small spiral notebook
mechanical pencil